MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed on Wednesday that it was investigating reports suggesting that former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque may have already left the Philippines. This comes after the House of Representatives issued an arrest order against him.
PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo acknowledged that Roque’s departure was a “possibility” and stated that they were working with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and other relevant agencies to verify if he had exited the country.
“We are still trying to confirm that with the BI because if he really left, it is only the BI who could confirm that he went through Customs authorities,” Fajardo said in an interview. “But if he went through the backdoor, we will try to confirm that with other sources.”
The investigation follows reports from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which stated it had received unverified information suggesting that Roque had left the Philippines.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago referenced a comment made by Vice President Sara Duterte during a late-night press conference on Saturday, where she suggested that Roque had indeed left the country despite his earlier statements about not wanting to abandon his children.
“Look at Secretary Harry Roque, he doesn’t want to leave the country because his children will be left behind. But look at him, he just left,” Duterte said.
Roque was cited in contempt and ordered detained by the House Quad Committee (QuadComm) on September 13 after he failed to provide documents that would explain the significant increase in his wealth, specifically from his family’s Biancham Holdings and Trading.
The committee had been investigating the increase in Roque’s assets, which grew from P125,000 in 2014 to P67.7 million by 2018.
Roque had initially agreed to submit the documents but later invoked his right to privacy and stated that the records were not relevant to the legislative inquiry.
Roque has consistently denied any wrongdoing, accusing Congress of “power tripping” and insisting that he is not a fugitive.
He also stated that the allegations against him were tied to his alleged involvement in illegal operations connected to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO).
As of now, authorities are still seeking confirmation of Roque’s whereabouts.