MANILA – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is verifying if former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has already left the Philippines.
According to Director Jaime Santiago, they received an information that Roque has left the country.
“May information po kaming ganyan pero hindi na namin dapat i-discuss sa publiko,” Santiago said in an interview with DZBB AM radio on Tuesday morning.
Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, during a press conference on Saturday, 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-Carpio said.
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)./PN
