Harry Roque cited for contempt, arrest warrant issued

Former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque has been cited in contempt by the House Quad Committee for failing to submit business and financial records as required by a subpoena.

Roque was served an arrest order at his law firm's office on Friday after refusing to comply with document requests related to his increased wealth, prompting Barbers to instruct the sergeant-at-arms and PNP to locate and detain Roque at the House of Representatives. Velasco confirmed that authorities are searching for Roque but have yet to find him.

The list of documents requested includes statements of assets and liabilities from 2016-2022, income tax returns for Roque and his wife Myla from 2014-2022, medical certificates, extrajudicial settlement records, property deeds, and corporate financial reports.

Roque maintains that the document requests are unrelated to the POGO inquiry and amount to a witch hunt, while lawmakers argue there is overwhelming circumstantial evidence linking him to illegal activities of the Porac POGO.

Barbers slammed Roque for labelling the probe as a 'witch hunt' and said his statements were an attempt to divert the truth. Roque was previously ordered detained for 24 hours last month after failing to attend the first hearing in Pampanga.

Roque would be detained until he submits the documents or until the quad committee is dissolved, and continues to deny any links with Lucky South 99 despite evidence suggesting otherwise.