Roque released after one-day House detention

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque was released on Friday night, August 23, after spending one day in detention at the House of Representatives.

Roque was detained as punishment for lying about his unavailability during a committee hearing on August 16 to investigate offshore gambling in the country; he claimed he had no court commitment that day but later apologized.

Kabayan Representative Ron Salo revealed that Roque's statement about being unavailable was false, prompting the detention.

In a Facebook post before release, Roque accused lawmakers of silencing him as a critic and preventing him from representing former president Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court.

Roque is now facing scrutiny over his alleged engagement with Lucky South Star 99 POGO firm, where belongings of his former staff were seized during a raid by authorities in Porac, Pampanga.

House leaders defended their decision to cite Roque in contempt, stating they had consistent grounds for detention and considered him a former member of the House.