House quad comm to summon DFA, BI over Harry Roque’s travel history
WHEN HARRY LEFT PH Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque confirms his departure from the country during a Zoom interviewwith reporters on Tuesday. The Bureau of Immigration says he may have gotten help from “unscrupulous individuals.” —SCREENGRAB
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives will summon the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to clarify the circumstances of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s travels, Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano said Monday.
Paduano added that the House’s quad committee, which investigated Roque’s alleged ties to Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) in Central Luzon, will also consult the DFA on possible legal actions regarding his travel documents.
Roque was cited for contempt by the committee in September 2024 for refusing to submit documents deemed crucial to the Pogo probe.
READ: Harry Roque spotted in The Hague with Sara Duterte, Robin Padilla
“That should be answered by the [DFA] at saka ng [BI], so most probably on the next hearing of quad comm, we might as well invite DFA and BI to explain to the committee with regards to the documents, especially the passport being used by Harry Roque because we all know that Atty. Harry Roque is being cited for contempt in the House,” Paduano, a co-chairperson of the quad committee, said.
“And we’ll ask the DFA as to what possible legal remedies are available with regards to the order of the House, in relation to the passports and documents that Harry Roque used,” he said.
Paduano however stopped short of blaming DFA and BI, as it is not yet ascertained how Roque left the country.
“So he was hiding, but eventually we discovered that he was there, comfortably walking, and we still do not know what country he came from before flying to the Netherlands. We will know about that on the next hearing,” he added.
READ: Harry Roque likely left PH using same route as Alice Guo – BI
“As of now we cannot talk about the liabilities of the two agencies, but as I’ve said, they have to explain to the committee, that Harry Roque is cited for contempt but he’s scot-free, especially now that it appears he is with VP Sara (Duterte), and all the other members of the entourage at The Hague,” he added.
The quad committee released an arrest order, which prompted the Philippine National Police (PNP) to track the former Malacañang official.
However, last March 14, Roque was spotted at The Hague, in the Netherlands, accompanying Vice President Duterte and Senator Robinhood Padilla. The trio where in the foreign country to assist Duterte’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who was recently taken into custody by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Last March 11, after coming home from Hong Kong, former President Duterte was stopped from leaving the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, as local authorities assisted the International Criminal Police Organization in enforcing the ICC arrest order.
READ: Harry Roque ordered detained anew; calls House panel a ‘kangaroo court’
The ICC issued the arrest order in connection to the crimes against humanity raps filed against Duterte, for his role in the past administration’s bloody drug war.
After questioning the arrest, Duterte eventually conceded, boarding a chartered plane from Villamor Air Base, which left Manila for the Netherlands a few minutes after 11:00 p.m., Tuesday. The chartered plane landed in the Hague just minutes after Thursday midnight, Manila time.
Two companies linked to Roque—Biancham Holdings and PH2 Corporation—were scrutinized by the quad committee for alleged ties to Lucky South 99, the Pogo hub in Porac, Pampanga, which was raided on June 4 over human trafficking concerns.
Quad committee lead presiding officer, Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, also noted that two illegal aliens working for Pogos were arrested in a residence in Tuba, Benguet—a house that Roque admitted to partly owning.
