‘Come back’: Rep. Castro asks Roque to clear issues at home

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque —Screengrab video from his Facebook page)

MANILA, Philippines  — Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque should face the House of Representatives first and clear his alleged involvement in Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo) before defending former President Rodrigo Duterte, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said on Tuesday.

In a press briefing, Castro was asked what message she would want to impart to Roque, who while being the subject of an arrest order from the House quad committee, was spotted in the Netherlands helping the former president’s legal team.

Castro in response said it is well within Roque’s right to defend Duterte, but the former spokesperson should first address pending issues at the quad committee.

“Well, what I can tell him is: ‘Friend, go home and face the questions fielded by the quad comm here and clear your name first before lawyering for former President Duterte,” Castro told reporters in Filipino.

“It’s your right to lawyer for Duterte, but you should face the questions first from the quad comm members, and clear your alleged relation or involvement with Pogos,” she added.

Roque, Duterte’s former spokesperson, was cited for contempt by the quad committee last September 2024 after he refused to cooperate in the investigation of his alleged link to Pogos.

Last March 14, however, Roque was spotted in The Hague, Netherlands with Vice President Sara Duterte and Sen. Robinhood Padilla.

They arrived in The Hague where former President Duterte was taken into custody by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Aside from lawyering for Duterte, Roque revealed that he would file a formal application to seek asylum in the Netherlands, due to political persecution.

“Well, he does not have any right to seek asylum in the Netherlands because, first of all, he is not a victim of political persecution — because that is the reason why an individual would seek [asylum]… He was part of the past administration, an official of the former president who applauded extrajudicial killings, who justified extrajudicial killings,” Castro noted.

Two companies that Roque is being linked to — Biancham Holdings and PH2 Corporation — were scrutinized by the quad committee for alleged links to Lucky South 99, the Pogo hub in Porac, Pampanga which was raided last June 4 for human trafficking issues.

Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the quad committee lead presiding officer, also noted that two illegal aliens working for Pogos were arrested in a Tuba, Benguet residence — a house that Roque admitted to partly-owning.