Harry Roque may be cited for contempt again – House lawmaker

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque denies he owns the house in an exclusive subdivision in Tuba, Benguet which was raided by law authorities. Roque told senators during the 5th public hearing of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality on July 29, 2024, that he stayed in the house after his stint in the government but the residence in question is registered to a corporation. Bureau of Immigration intelligence division chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. said they arrested a Cambodian and a Chinese woman connected to the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator hub in Bamban, Tarlac during the Benguet raid. (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque may be cited for contempt again for seemingly challenging the authority of the House of Representatives’ quad-committee, Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez said on Monday.

In a virtual hearing, Fernandez said quad-committee members may discuss Roque’s criticisms of the Marcos administration and the House for detaining him for a day.

“Well actually that’s contemptible and should one of the members of the committee tackle that issue, no one can prevent him or her from discussing it on the quad-comm on the next hearing on Wednesday,” Fernandez said.

“When he questioned our right to cite resource persons for contempt, that is contemptible. That’s why, well, it’s an issue that we have to discuss if ever somebody will raise it on the floor on Wednesday. But as I’ve said, for me, nobody paid attention to him, right? Because people know that we’re not doing this because of politics,” he added.

Fernandez also said he is already accustomed to Roque’s tirades, supposedly having seen a side of the lawyer exhibiting good behavior when inside the House premises, and a critical personality once he is outside.

“I think maybe one of the members will tackle that because some of the lawmakers may have been hurt, but for me, I have grown accustomed to it. I took it as two persons that we are dealing with: one Harry Roque on the outside and another Harry Roque on the inside,” he added.

Roque was cited for contempt during the quad-committee hearing last Thursday, as he supposedly lied about the reason why he skipped the previous discussion. He said in a letter to the panel that he was scheduled to attend a court hearing in Manila last August 16, but court records showed that the hearing was held on August 15.

He was detained for a day in the House. He criticized the quad-panel after leaving the House premises on Friday night.

READ: Harry Roque cited for contempt after lying about absence in House probe

“They said I disrespected the Congress. To those who watched the hearings, did I do that? I’ve had 34 years of law practice, but I do not know of a court that issued arrest orders because they failed to attend hearings. Why is it that in Congress, I missed one of four hearings, but they detained me?” Roque asked.

“The answer is because they really want to stifle the free speech of the administration’s critics. They want to silence people who advocate the interests of the Filipino people,” he added.

Possibly treasonous and seditious

For Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., Roque’s statements are possibly treasonous and seditious as he called for a gathering at the Edsa shrine to eventually topple the government.

“It might be because he is calling for a different thing now, he is now calling for a… for me it might also be treasonous. Because he’s now calling for People Power to topple down the present administration. I don’t think that’s right,” Abante said.

“I mean, it’s one thing to be able to rally against the government, it is another thing to say, let us come together so we could be able to topple this government. To me … that is seditious,” he added.

While Roque did not advocate for violent means, he called on political parties to assemble at the Edsa shrine every Friday with the goal of kicking out President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration if it would not change.

“Before, we were here in Edsa to remove a Marcos. We are again here, even if we are still small in numbers, let us not forget that even the biggest fire starts from small sparks,” Roque said.

“So to Filipinos, every Friday until this movement gathers numbers, until we fill the entire Edsa, let’s meet here every Friday … We once removed a Marcos from power, and we celebrated that. And that’s the message that anytime now, the people will judge to remove Marcos Jr. if the government does not change,” he added.

Roque has been invited to the House quad-committee hearings due to his possible involvement with Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo), particularly the raided Pogo hub in Porac, Pampanga.

During the raid last June 4, bank documents of Roque and his former executive assistant Alberto Rodulfo “AR” De La Serna were found in Lucky South 99 Pogo hub in Porac.

READ: Roque’s bank documents found in raided Pampanga Pogo – PAOCC

It was also revealed that Roque accompanied Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, an incorporator of Whirlwind Corporation which leased the land in Porac to Lucky South 99, to the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).

Pagcor chief Al Tengco said Roque was lawyering for the Pogo firm, but Roque denied this, saying he only requested a rescheduling of the arrears payment of a lessee and principal of his client Whirlwind Corporation.

READ: Harry Roque denies being legal counsel for raided Pogo hub

Ong reportedly holds a 58 percent stake at Whirlwind Corporation. She was arrested in Indonesia last Wednesday, along with Shiela Guo, sister of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo.

READ: House to take custody of Pogo land lessor Cassandra Ong