Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque speaks to reporters in a Zoom interview on Dec. 3, 2024, confirming that he has fled the country and traveled to Abu Dhabi solely to have his counter-affidavit to a qualified human trafficking complaint against him notarized. – SCREENGRAB
MANILA, Philippines — Did key figures from a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) facilitate former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s escape from the Philippines?
Opposition senator Risa Hontiveros raised this possibility on Wednesday, adding that she expects law enforcers to identify who helped Roque escape.
Roque was reportedly in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“Dubai [in UAE] is a Pogo hub, so it’s possible that Pogo actors helped him escape,” Hontiveros said.
“The Bureau of Immigration (BI) still has a lot of explaining to do. Even Guo Hua Ping’s escape to Indonesia, they have yet to explain how it happened,” she added.
BI earlier said Roque likely left the country through illegal means. BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said verification with their records shows that Roque has no recent attempt to depart the country via formal channels.
Viado also said BI’s legal team is already studying filing more complaints against Roque for his supposed illegal travel.
Roque is implicated in the qualified human trafficking case filed against Cassandra Li Ong and several others concerning the alleged illegal activities of the Pogo hub Lucky South 99 Corp.
He has an arrest order from the House of Representatives after being cited for contempt and ordered detained due to his failure to submit documents that would justify the alleged sudden increase in his wealth.