THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has focused its manhunt against former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in Mindanao.
In a press conference on Thursday, October 17, 2024, PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Jean Fajardo said they have received information that Roque is hiding in the said region.
“Si Attorney Roque I am pretty sure meron yan mga kaibigan, mga nakakakilala sa kanya na possibly mas kumportable siya na doon humingi ng tulong. So your guess is as good as mine with respect to his intention bakit doon siya sa lugar na yun tumakbo,” said Fajardo.
(I am pretty sure that Lawyer Roque has friends and knows of people who he is very comfortable asking for help. So your guess is as good as mine with respect to his intention on why he fled to that area.)
“We want to remind for those people na nagkakanlong po kay Atty. Roque na posible pong maharap kayo sa kaso for obstruction of justice for intentionally harboring a person being searched or being hunted by the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies po,” she added.
(We want to remind those people who are helping Atty. Roque that there is a possibility that they will face a case for obstruction of justice for intentionally harboring a person being searched or being hunted by the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies.)
Fajardo said PNP units visited several places in Central Luzon and Calabarzon where Roque was reportedly sighted, but it turned out negative.
She expressed confidence that Roque remains in the country, considering the same information they got from the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
Earlier, the BI said Roque’s wife Mylah, a former Board of Trustees of the Home Development Fund (Pag-Ibig), had already left the country on September 3.
The Roques were subjects of an arrest order issued by the House quad-committee amid its investigation on the possible link between the proliferation of illegal Pogo operations, illegal drug trade, anomalous land acquisitions, and extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration.
Harry was implicated in the Pogo controversy for accompanying and helping Cassandra Li Ong, an official of the raided illegal Pogo hub in Porac, Pampanga, to pay off its six-month arrears totaling USD500,000 to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
While he denied any links to the illegal Pogo, he admitted serving as a lawyer for Whirlwind Corporation, the company that is leasing its Porac, Pampanga compound to Lucky South 99, which was raided by 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. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)