Harry Roque, the former presidential spokesperson and one-time human rights lawyer, has now been branded by the Quad Committee as the “defiant fugitive from justice.”
The QuadCom had previously cited Roque in contempt twice and issued an arrest order for detention against him for his refusal to submit vital documents he promised to voluntarily bring to the panel. Documents that, by the way, would shed light on his dealings that are now being questioned—his SALN, records on his family firm Biancham, a subsidiary called PH2 in Benguet and the deed of sale for a massive 1.8-hectare property in Parañaque.
Roque, who initially offered to bring these papers, is now citing legal technicalities apparentlly to avoid turning them over and now, he’s nowhere to be found.
Let’s call this what it is: Roque is a fugitive. If he continues this vanishing act, the QuadCom could very well request the Bureau of Immigration to issue a hold departure order. No more escape routes for Roque, no more hiding in plain sight.
In one of his video rants on social media, Roque claimed there is no unexplained wealth in his case. In his words, “excuse me, my family was able to send me in the United States, in London and then at the University of the Philippines, this could not be considered as unexplained wealth.”
Does he even hear himself? No one is accusing him of unexplained tuition fees but rather, his financial dealings, his sprawling properties and his connections that raise some questions. Roque is too busy playing the victim, shrugging off his contempt citation like a pesky fly: “Wala akong pakealam,” he says.
Where does this arrogance come from? Roque wants us to believe he’s not a fugitive, just a man “exhausting his legal remedies.” He paints himself as a martyr—a lone man standing against Congress. But his theatrical cries for public sympathy ring hollow. Does Harry Roque really think the Filipino people are gullible enough to rally behind him?
The narrative that Roque is being persecuted for being a vocal critic of the government is ridiculous. He invokes God and even his grandmother, claiming they taught him not to value material possessions and wealth. Blasphemous, to say the least, coming from a man now accused of hiding assets and questionable dealings in the millions.
Roque is no rebel; he is indeed, the best spokesperson a person could ask for precisely because he will serve the truth of his master, whatever that truth may be.
And now, he refuses to cooperate. If he truly has nothing to hide, why all the evasion? Why the legal foot-dragging? Roque’s refusal to appear before the QuadCom, to submit the documents he promised, only deepens suspicions regarding his involvement in the illegal activities of POGOs.
Here’s the bottom line: the QuadCom’s pursuit of the truth will not be derailed by his grandstanding. The public isn’t fooled, and the law will eventually catch up with him. For now, Harry Roque can hide, but he cannot run forever.
