Harry Roque already out of PH? NBI has ‘unconfirmed’ info

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Tuesday that it has received unconfirmed information that former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has already left the Philippines. 

NBI Director Jaime Santiago said this in response to the late-night press conference of Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday where she seemingly dropped a hint that Roque, a subject of an arrest order issued by the House of Representatives, has gotten out of the country. 

“Look at Secretary Harry Roque, ayaw umalis no’n sa bansa kasi ‘yung mga anak niya maiiwanan. Pero look at him, umalis na lang,” Duterte said. 

(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.) 

Asked for confirmation in a Super Radyo dzBB interview if Roque has really left the country, Santiago said, “‘Yun ang information din namin pero hindi pa confirmed.”

(That’s also our information but it’s not confirmed yet.) 

“May information po kaming ganyan pero hindi na namin dapat i-discuss sa publiko. Pasensya na po,” he added.

(We have information like that, but we should not discuss it publicly. Apologies.) 

Roque was cited in contempt and ordered detained by the House QuadComm on September 13 after he refused to submit documents that would supposedly explain his increased wealth.

The QuadComm made the move after Roque initially agreed to submit documents that would explain the increase of his assets under his family’s Biancham Holdings and Trading from P125,000 in 2014, P3.125 million in 2015 and P67.7 million in 2018.

Roque, in response, has accused Congress of “power tripping” following the contempt and arrest orders issued against him due to his alleged link to illegal operations of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO).

The longtime ally of the Duterte family has also maintained that he is not a fugitive.

In October, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said it had not monitored any recent travel made by Roque.