Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque is now considered a “fugitive” by his former colleagues in the House of Representatives, a lawmaker revealed on Monday.
Roque has been linked to the operations of an offshore gaming hub in Porac, Pampanga – raided earlier this year for illegal activities. He was previously detained for failing to attend a hearing of the House Quad Committee, which was investigating issues related to the Duterte administration, due to a scheduling conflict.
Since then, he has labeled himself a “political detainee,” accusing the current administration of targeting him for his vocal support of the Dutertes, who were once part of the ruling coalition.
Surigao del Sur 2nd District Representative Johnny Pimentel told local news agency ANC that the House Sergeant-at-Arms, in coordination with the Philippine National Police, failed to locate Roque after searching for him for three days to serve the detention order from the lower chamber.
“Since Friday, he’s been in hiding. We now consider him a fugitive,” Pimentel said, adding that if Roque does not appear at their hearing on Thursday, the House Quad Committee may request a hold-departure order (HDO) against him. An HDO, which bars a person from leaving the country, can only be issued by a court.
“This is just an inquiry. There are no cases filed yet. So if he has nothing to hide, why won’t he appear before our committee?” Pimentel added.
Roque was cited for contempt again by the Quad Committee last week for failing to submit documents related to its inquiry into illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). He argued that the documents requested by the joint panel were “not germane”—or relevant—to its investigation.
However, the committee rejected his motion to quash a subpoena requiring him to submit various documents, including business records, tax returns, and Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).
Documents suggest that Roque acted as legal counsel for Lucky South 99, which operated an illegal POGO facility in Pampanga and was raided in June 2024 for illegal activities. Roque has denied these claims. Pimentel also noted that Roque’s wife, former Pag-IBIG Fund trustee Mylah Roque, has not appeared at the hearings despite being subpoenaed.
“During the next hearing, we will likely issue a show-cause order to Mrs. Myla Roque, requiring her to explain why she refuses to appear before our committee,” the lawmaker said.
A show-cause order requires the respondent to explain why they should not be cited for contempt, in this case, for ignoring a House summons.
In a Facebook video, Roque denied being a fugitive, emphasizing that there are no cases filed against him.
“First of all, I am not a fugitive […] Contempt of Congress means being punished, imprisoned by Congress. But I haven’t broken any laws. They’ve filed cases against Cassy (Ong) and others involved with Lucky South 99. I’m not included in any case. They’ve also filed a case against Alice Guo in Bamban. I’m not included there either. So I have no case pending in any court or prosecution. My only issue is refusing to submit documents that are unrelated to the POGO investigation,” he explained.
“So, to reiterate, I am not a fugitive for violating any law. I am only a fugitive in the eyes of Congress, and I don’t care,” Roque added.
He also accused lawmakers of abusing their power, saying their actions are not in aid of legislation.
“In my view, if I am cited in contempt of Congress, then Congress is cited in contempt of the Filipino people. What they’re doing is wrong, shouting and citing people in contempt when they don’t like the answers,” he said.
“They are power-tripping, with no laws being created, yet they continue to malign the Duterte family over extrajudicial killings, drugs, and POGOs. That’s not right,” Roque added.
Roque said he would wait for the Supreme Court’s decision before submitting the requested documents.
“I will wait for the Supreme Court’s ruling. If the court says to release the documents, I will comply. But for now, let’s wait for the court’s decision,” he stated.
House Quad Committee co-chair Rep. Dan Fernandez said that while they respect Roque’s decision to challenge the House’s authority, he must face the consequences of his actions.
“We respect his decision not to comply with the quad committee’s order of contempt, but he must expect repercussions. The reason he was cited in contempt was his non-compliance with the documents pertaining to his SALN, ITR, and others, which he himself offered to submit to the quadcom,” Fernandez said in a statement.
He also denied the quad committee was abusing its power. “The alleged abuse of power by the quadcom is out of context. We are bound by the House rules, approved by the 300+ members of the 19th Congress. While we respect his decision to appeal to the Supreme Court regarding the quadcom’s order, the contempt order stands. Nothing is preventing the sergeant-at-arms from implementing the quadcom’s order,” Fernandez added.
