MANILA, Philippines – Former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque firmly dismissed reports that the house raided in Benguet province where two foreign nationals allegedly working for illegal offshore gaming facilities were apprehended was his but a property of a corporation he has interest in.
Roque, whose name has been dragged into the POGO controversy, said this on the resumption of the Senate panel on women hearing on POGOs Monday, July 29.
“Ang bahay po na tinutukoy niyo sa Tuba Benguet ay rehistrado sa isang korporasyon. Tinirhan ko po ‘yan nung ako’y umalis ng gobyerno and I do have an interest in the corporation that owns it pero wala po sa akin ang possession ng bahay na ‘yan,” he said.
Over the weekend, Cambodian national Khuon Moeurn, 37, and Chinese woman Wang Keping, 35, were intercepted by operatives of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI)’s intelligence division unit in the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the raid was in search of a Chinese woman allegedly connected to the raided POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac. Instead, agents found Moeurn and Wang at a house in Pinewoods subdivision reportedly owned by Roque in Barangay Poblacion, Tuba town.
Roque explained that the house was held for lease by the corporation since January 2024 and that the person who signed the contract was a Chinese national named Huan Yun who secured an Alien Certificate of Registration and a holder of a 9G work visa which makes her a legal resident of the Philippines.
Roque asked: was target caught?
Roque said he personally wants to know whether the government’s targets were caught in the operation.
As for personal knowledge, Roque said he knew Yun was living with a male partner in the raided house. In fact, the former law professor said he hired a caretaker to make sure the property will only be used for residential purposes.
“So nagtalaga pa ako ng caretaker para masigurado na wala pong ganyan at ang caretaker’s report naman ay talagang hanggang tatlong tao lang ang nakatira don,” he said.
“Ang question nga po is if ‘yung lalaking nahuli ay siyang meron ties sa Bamban at ang alam ko po, nag due diligence din naman kami kung sino ‘yung lalaking yun, partner yun nung aking lesse,” he said.
No illegalities happened in the property according to Roque as reported by his caretaker.
“Ang sinasabi nung aking katiwala hindi naman umaalis ng bahay golf lang ng golf kasi may golf course po diyan at tinanong namin minsan ano ba ang trabaho niya ang sabi niya he’s a digital nomad, cryptocurrency,” he said.
Roque said he too is after the truth and that such reports were simply attempts to taint his name.
“Nais ko pong makita talaga ano ‘yung ebidensya na yung lalaki yun ay involved sa Bamban dahil kung hindi naman ay talagang meron concerted effort na ilink ako dito sa mga POGO na akin namang itinatanggi po,” he said.
