QUEZON CITY — The name of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque is frequently mentioned in records and testimonies pertaining to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO), according to information released on Saturday, August 24, by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

“I would like to give reference to a former Cabinet official. So, Atty. Roque is a former Cabinet official. So, given the benefit of the doubt in relation to what he is saying, but then again, now that his name keeps on cropping up in the documents, in the digital footprint, in the testimonial footprint,” PAOCC spokesman Winston Casio said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.

“We cannot discount his possible involvement in all of these matters,” Casio added.

“I don’t believe in coincidence anymore as far as Harry Roque is concerned…. His footprint is everywhere. But of course, you have to put one plus one equals two to create a case, complete a case,” the PAOCC spokesman stressed.

The PAOCC spokesman also explained that as the government launched its crackdown on POGOs, it also probed individuals involved in illegal online gambling operations, as President Bongbong Marcos declared POGOs illegal during his State of the Nation Address last July.

Other Officials Involved in POGOs Also Revealed – PAOCC

Aside from Roque, Casio disclosed that a few additional names appeared as well, including those of bureaucrats, tenured officers, and former public servants.

“But again, it’s one thing to investigate, it’s another thing to be able to build a case,” Casio said.

Regarding whether Roque is the top government figure under investigation, Casio likewise refrained from commenting. He also desisted from making any remarks on the evidence that the PAOCC has against Roque in order to build a case against the lawyer.

“Again, no comment as I will not give our aces before the public,” Casio said.

“Now, with regard to the cases, in all honesty, in all honesty on my part, on the commission’s part, and in fairness to the part of the DOJ (Department of Justice), you need to take a look at the voluminous documents that we have submitted in our charges. Likewise, the voluminous documents that the counter-affidavits of the other accused have submitted,” the PAOCC spokesman added.

“Again, we are not politically motivated. We are based on evidence. So, defer to their wisdom, in the time that they need to read through the evidence submitted by both parties and once they are finished going through the evidence, then I am confident that they would see the argument our way,” he stressed.

BI Unaware of Guo’s Escape from the Philippines

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) may have been unaware of the departure of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, who was also related to POGOs.

“(H)indi ho talaga mati-trigger iyong alert bulletin namin, ‘di ho ba? So, obviously, I will not put the blame on the DOJ,” Casio said.

The PAOCC spokesperson, however, suggested that Guo might have escaped the Philippines unnoticed with the assistance of some members of the criminal justice system.

“We can only do so much… we can only do so much, pero I will be honest with you, we’re doing our jobs – PAOCC, AFP (military), PNP (police),” Casio said.

“But, of course, I cannot say the same for everyone within the organization because we don’t live in a fantasy land. Kaya nga naglabas ng statement ang Presidente. Someone in the long chain of our criminal justice system may have helped these people to get out of the country, that’s why heads will roll,” the PAOCC spokesman added.

📷 Harry Roque FB