The Philippine National Police (PNP) stated on Wednesday that there is no indication that former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has left the country, despite the House of Representatives’ order for his arrest.
“In our coordination with the Bureau of Immigration, there is still no indication that he has exited the country,” said PNP spokesperson, Police Colonel Jean Fajardo, during a press briefing.
Tracker teams from the PNP have visited Roque’s registered offices and residences, but he was not found in any of these locations. In response, Fajardo mentioned that the police are now monitoring potential exit points in case Roque attempts to flee.
“Customs is definitely on high alert. I believe there’s already an immigration lookout bulletin issued for him. We are keeping an eye on our ports in coordination with the relevant government agencies,” she added.
Fajardo urged Roque to comply with legal proceedings, emphasizing that “no one is above the law.”
Roque was cited in contempt and ordered detained by four House committees on September 13, after he failed to provide documents justifying a significant increase in his wealth. Initially, Roque had agreed to submit documents explaining the growth of assets under his family’s Biancham Holdings and Trading, which rose from P125,000 in 2014 to P67.7 million by 2018.
Roque has filed a motion to quash the subpoena regarding these documents and accused Congress of “power tripping” after the contempt and arrest orders were issued. He insists that he is not a fugitive.
“I’m not a fugitive because I broke the law; I’m only a fugitive in the eyes of Congress, and I don’t care,” Roque stated in a Facebook live video. “What they are doing is wrong, they shout, and cite anyone in contempt if they dislike the answers. This is power tripping,” he added during the 14-minute video.