Former Philippine presidential spokesperson denies human trafficking charges

Harry Roque claimed there is no evidence of his participation in trafficking or other acts.

The Philippines.- Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. has denied allegations of human trafficking filed against him, submitting a counter-affidavit notarised in Abu Dhabi.

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Roque’s legal team presented the document during a preliminary investigation. Prosecutor general Richard Anthony Fadullon added Roque’s counter-affidavit was delivered by a defence attorney to the scheduled preliminary investigation and had been notarised with an Apostille by the embassy in Abu Dhabi.   

“A counter-affidavit was submitted by the lawyers of Harry Roque. It would appear that he had a document which was notarized but he is in Abu Dhabi. So, the panel opted to give the respondent a chance to call for a clarificatory hearing which would be scheduled anytime between now and the 16th of December. The purpose is to clarify certain issues and find out really where Mr. Harry Roque is at this point in time,” Fadullon said.

On October 28, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) filed human trafficking charges against Roque and two others. They’re accused of alleged links to Lucky South 99, an offshore gaming operation, which was raided in Porac, Pampanga.

In a supplemental complaint submitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Roque, Mercides Macabasa, and Ley Tan were added to the complaints against Cassandra Li Ong and 53 others filed in September for violations of Republic Act (RA) 9208, also known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, which was subsequently amended by RA 10364 and further amended by RA 11862. Roque requested the dismissal of the complaint, asserting that his inclusion in the Supplemental Complaint Affidavit was “mere afterthought.”

“My inclusion, as well as the inclusion of Whirlwind Corporation and Lucky South 99 Outsourcing, Inc. were mere afterthoughts. The inclusion of the two corporations was intended to cure the deficiency of the evidence presented both in the original complaint and the supplemental complaint affidavit that utterly failed to identify any overt act of trafficking or qualified human trafficking that will implicate me,” Roque said in his 22-page counter-affidavit.

He argued that there was no evidence showing his involvement in human trafficking activities, which encompass recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring, obtaining, offering, hiring, providing, or receiving individuals who are allegedly trafficked—all elements of human trafficking—and that no conspiracy existed. Roque also asserted that accompanying Ong to a meeting with PAGCOR executives was not illegal.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) has raised concerns about Roque’s departure from the Philippines. BI commissioner Joel Anthony Viado has suggested that Roque may have exited the country illegally, as his name appears on the BI’s Lookout Bulletin. The BI is considering filing additional charges related to his alleged unauthorised travel.

Philippine Senator alleges former president Rodrigo Duterte benefited from offshore gambling

A week ago, senator Risa Hontiveros presented a diagram of people who allegedly benefited from offshore gambling operations, including former president Rodrigo Duterte, Harry Roque and the economic adviser, Michael Yang, who, Hontiveros claims “a key actor in Chinese intelligence operations”. The claims were made in the hearing on alleged criminal activities and irregularities linked to gaming operators.

Hontiveros said they “exploited” and “betrayed” Filipinos. She also showed a photo of Yang with She Zhijiang, an offshore gaming operator who had links with Alice Guo, the suspended mayor of Bamban, Tarlac.

“For five long years, counting our Pastillas investigation, the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality tried to leave no stone unturned to unravel the many evils brought to our shores by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators or POGOs – POGOs welcomed with open arms by the administration of former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” Hontiveros said.

“They have now been revealed to be nothing but a Trojan horse. They have exposed a web of people who used POGOs for their own selfish interests, their own personal gain – all at the expense of the Filipino people.”