On October 1, 2024, the Supreme Court announced, through its spokesperson Atty. Camille Sue Mae Ting, that it had denied Harry Roque’s prayer for a Writ of Amparo. For those of us who are not experts on these matters, a Writ of Amparo is a remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty and security has been violated or is threatened with violation, by an unlawful act or omission of a public official, employee or private individual.
Harry Roque, through his daughter Bianca Hacintha, the one-half of the “Biancham” name, filed the Writ of Amparo and Petition of Prohibition to bar the Quad Committee from carrying out the contempt and arrest order that it issued for Roque.
To recall, the Quad Committee previously issued the contempt and arrest orders against Roque when he repeatedly refused to submit the documents related to the alleged sale of his family’s property in Multinational Village, Paranaque, his tax returns and Statement of Liability and Net Worth (“SALN”), and any trust documents indicating that he did not actually own the shares in his companies. In short, he was asked to prove that he did not get his wealth from Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (“POGO”).
During the hearing, Roque was very compliant, even going so far as to say that he would submit additional documents to prove his innocence. However, he later refused to submit the documents and to attend the Quad Committee hearings. Citing his right against his “self-incrimination” and “right to privacy”, Roque claimed that the Quad Committee had absolutely no right to pry into his affairs.
If he really was innocent, then why is he refusing to submit the documents being requested?
Consistent with his self-claimed “greatness” in the field of political law, Roque has been trying to weave his way out of this. Unfortunately for him, he is not as politically and financially powerful as that of PRRD, Alice Guo or Cassandra Ong.
Harry Roque does not have the power to intimidate anyone around him. Even PRRD did not back him up in 2019 when he tried to run for a seat in the Senate. His hands are tied.
