Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque can't seem to catch a break.
The House quad-committee on Thursday, Sept. 12 once again cited the lawyer for contempt, this time for failing to submit documents subpoenaed by the solons investigating his potential links to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/9/12/house-quad-comm-cites-roque-for-contempt-a-2nd-time-here-s-why
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The House quad-committee on Thursday, Sept. 12 once again cited the lawyer for contempt, this time for failing to submit documents subpoenaed by the solons investigating his potential links to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/9/12/house-quad-comm-cites-roque-for-contempt-a-2nd-time-here-s-why
Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin
Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin
Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin
#ManilaBulletinOnline
#ManilaBulletin
#LatestNews
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NewsTranscript
00:00As mentioned by the Honorable Paduano, the QUADCOM is in possession of the
00:06omnibus motion and compliance dated September 9, 2024, filed by Attorney Harry
00:15Roque. And I wish to remind the QUADCOM that this motion originated from our
00:24hearing on August 22, 2024, where, in the various questions we propounded, Attorney
00:35Harry Roque expressed his commitment to produce the documents. To explain, Mr.
00:42Chair, this omnibus motion and compliance is made up of two parts. The first part
00:48is the motion to quash, that is from paragraph 1 to 33, and the second part is
00:54the compliance to the SHOCOS order, which is reflected in page 34 to 43. This
01:02representation wished to make a manifestation with respect to the motion
01:06to quash filed by the Attorney Harry Roque. In support of the above motion, Mr.
01:14Chair, he raised the same arguments which have been deliberated upon already
01:20during the last hearing. And to satisfy the requirement of due process, Mr. Chair,
01:26let me reiterate our answers to the arguments which he raised. First, that the
01:34hearing is not in aid of legislation. In answer to that, let me explain, Mr. Chair,
01:40this QUADCOM was created to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation pertaining
01:47to four issues which are haunting us. One is dangerous drugs, two is extrajudicial
01:55killing, three is the en masse acquisition of land, and four is the POGO
02:01operation. In other words, Mr. Chair, we are indeed an exercise of our power to
02:09conduct inquiry in aid of legislation which is granted by no less than the
02:14Philippine Constitution, Mr. Chair. Second, Attorney Harry Roque argued that the
02:20documents requested are not germane to the inquiry in aid of legislation. Again,
02:26in the case of Arnold versus Nazareno, there are two requirements. One is
02:33materiality to the subject matter, and second is materiality to the possible
02:39legislation. With respect to the first requirement, Mr. Chair, it is the humble
02:45submission of this representation that the QUADCOMMITTEE has established an
02:50overwhelming circumstantial evidence showing the connection of Attorney Harry
02:57Roque to Lucky South Corporation, which is a POGO operator where we apprehended
03:04Chinese nationals, victims of human trafficking, murder, and internet scum.
03:11Mr. Chair, at the height of the interpolation, we ask about the Biancham
03:18Corporation, which owns the property in Tuba, Benguet, where the IT employee of
03:25this Lucky South was apprehended, and that is where we started investigating
03:31Biancham, and then it was followed by our investigation on the subsidiary
03:36companies. As we investigate on Biancham, Mr. Chair, we found out the sudden
03:42increase of his assets in 2018, coming from 125,000 before 2016. In 2018, the
03:54current assets of Biancham rose to 125 million. At the height of the
04:01interpolation, Mr. Chair, Attorney Harry Roque articulated that his money did not
04:08come from POGO operation. To emphasize, Mr. Chair, that statement did not come
04:15from QUADCOMM, did not come from this representation. Instead, it came from the
04:21mouth of Attorney Harry Roque. This is an admission, therefore, Mr. Chair, that he
04:27admits the connection of these documents, which we are requiring from him, from the
04:34investigation on POGO operation that we are conducting right now. To further
04:41explain, Mr. Chair, it was admitted that he was the presidential spokesperson
04:47during that time, with a very limited income, and then we asked him, where did
04:53this 65 million come from? Where did this money come from? And he could not
04:58explain, except that he sold a certain property in multinational company in
05:03Paranaque. To conclude, Mr. Chair, there is a question about the source of the
05:10money of Biancham Corporation, which belongs to Attorney Harry Roque, and
05:14following his question, if he will not be able to prove the legal and valid
05:20source of this sudden increase of assets of Biancham, then there is a reasonable
05:25ground to believe that, indeed, he is connected with POGO operation and this
05:31money possibly came from the POGO operation. The second element, Mr. Chair,
05:37is the materiality to the possible legislation. And during the last hearing,
05:43Mr. Chair, we reiterated, what are the laws that can be amended in connection to this
05:53Quadcom hearing? And we cited RA 3019. This is the Anti-Graft and Corrupt
06:00Practices Act, in case our government officials are corrupted because of this
06:09POGO operation. We also have Code of Professional Responsibility of
06:14Government Officials that we need to revisit already. These, the provisions of
06:20this law to make sure that the government officials and employees do
06:25not deviate from what is being mandated by the Code of Professional
06:29Responsibility of Government Officials. We also have anti-money laundering.
06:35Is the provision of anti-money laundering insufficient? And there were
06:40transfers of huge amounts of money in spite of the existence of this law. We
06:45also have corporation law. Why are corporations using shields in
06:51perpetrating illegal activities? We can also consider, Mr. Chair, the Code of
06:57Professional Responsibility and Accountability for Lawyers. Is this still
07:02safe if the lawyer is already protecting illegal activities of their
07:06client? In addition to this, Mr. Chair, we have established already the need to
07:12revisit the laws such as the PSA Charter because our law on late
07:21registration was abused. Our immigration law on visa issuance, the PACOR Charter on
07:27licensing of POGO, and the Cybercrime Law or R810-175. Mr. Chair. Yes, Congressman
07:36Flores. Mr. Chair, as extensively discussed by Congressman Luistro, stating the
07:41grounds why we are in the right as far as our requests for him to submit
07:47these documents and his continued refusal to submit these documents to
07:51this squad committee, Mr. Chair. I move, Mr. Chair, that we hold Harry Roque in
07:56contempt, Attorney Harry Roque in contempt, for refusing to submit the
08:00document subject of the subpoena de susticum and of which he has manifested
08:06that he was going to submit to this committee, Mr. Chair. I so move, Mr. Chair.
08:10There is a motion to cite Attorney Harry Roque in contempt and this was duly
08:17seconded. Are there any objections? Hearing none, the motion is carried. Now
08:23just for clarification, we are citing Attorney Harry Roque in violation of
08:29Section 11. D. Paragraph D. Paragraph D, Mr. Chair, for refusing to comply with the
08:35subpoena de susticum and to submit the documents we requested of him, Mr. Chair.
08:40Now, Mr. Chair, in addition, Mr. Chair, I move that we hold Harry Roque in
08:47detention for the period of until he submits the documents or until the quad
08:54committee is dissolved, Mr. Chair. There is a motion to detain Attorney Harry
09:02Roque as long as this committee conducts its hearing and until we
09:09terminate or until he submits or until he submits the documents required of him.
09:14Yes, Mr. Chair. And this was duly seconded. Are there any objections? Hearing none,
09:20the motion is approved.