HUMAN trafficking charges were filed against former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in relation to his alleged involvement in the raided illegal Pogo hub in Porac, Pampanga.
Roque, along with two others, were included in a supplemental complaint affidavit as co-respondents of Cassandra Li Ong, the authorized representative of the raided Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga, in the human trafficking charges filed by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in September.
Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (Iacat) prosecutor Darwin Cañete said the inclusion of Roque was based on the testimony of Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) officials that he accompanied and assisted Ong to pay the firm’s six months’ worth of arrears valued at around $500,000.
He said it implies the “active participation in the furtherance of the illegal activity” of the illegal Pogo firm.
“We cannot ignore the documentation, the testimony, and the other evidence that have been submitted for investigation at ito yung nagging conclusion ng investigation. So ifa-file namin,” said Cañete.
Roque, who is a subject of an arrest order issued by the House quad committee amid its investigation on the possible link between the proliferation of illegal operations of Pogos, illegal drug trade, anomalous land acquisitions, and extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration, has repeatedly denied involvement in Pogo operations.
He admitted, however, to serving as a lawyer for Whirlwind Corporation, the company that is leasing its Porac, Pampanga compound to Lucky South 99, which was raided by the authorities in June over various illegal activities.
The panel requested for him to submit his tax records and statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) related to his family’s firm Biancham, a subsidiary in Benguet called PH2, and a deed of sale of a 1.8-hectare Parañaque City property which he earlier said can explain the money on his bank account.
Roque filed a petition before the Supreme Court to quash the order of the House committee. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)