Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro —Facebook page photo
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives’ quad-committee has denied former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s motion to quash a subpoena on key documents like business records and tax returns, with a lawmaker noting that public welfare takes primacy over privacy.
During the fourth quad-committee hearing held on Wednesday, Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said that while Roque invoked his right to privacy in asking that the subpoena be quashed, public welfare and access to information is a more important aspect of society.
According to Luistro, documents like Roque’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth will be crucial to determining if he indeed did not profit from Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo) hubs.
READ: Roque’s bank documents found in raided Pampanga Pogo – PAOCC
“At this point, Mr. Chair, I maintain that the documents which are being required are relevant to the subject matter of the investigation because if Harry Roque will not be able to prove the sources of his assets, then there is a possibility indeed that will support his connection to this Pogo operation,” Luistro said.
READ: Harry Roque denies being legal counsel for raided Pogo hub
“Mr. Chair, he invoked his right against privacy. In the case of Standard Chartered Bank v. Senate Committee on Banks, it pronounced the longstanding case of Sabio v. Gordon—the right of the people to access information on matters of public concern generally prevails over the right to privacy. In other words, in the hierarchy of rights, Mr. Chair, right to information is more important than the right to privacy,” she added.
Luistro also dismissed claims from Roque that he has the right to due process, noting that the quad-committee has been giving him this privilege since he started testifying before the four panels.
READ: Cassandra Ong: Top boss at Whirlwind an ex-Chinese cop
“Finally, Mr. Chair, he likewise invoked his right to due process. Two important elements of due process: notice and hearing, and we are all witnesses that we have been according this right to him since day one of the quad-comm hearing. In this light, Mr. Chair, I respectfully move that we deny, we disregard, the motion to quash that was filed by Attorney Harry Roque,” she noted.
Luistro’s motion was approved by quad-committee lead chair and Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers after it was duly seconded.
Roque has been linked to Lucky South 99, the raided Pogo hub in Porac, Pampanga, after documents with his signature were found by operatives.
Eventually, it was revealed that he once accompanied Katherine Cassandra Li Ong to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) for the settlement of unpaid dues for a Pogo license.
The former presidential spokesperson however has repeatedly denied having any links with the Pogo hub, saying that he only assisted Ong and neither Lucky South 99 or Whirlwind Corporation, the company that leased land to Lucky South.
Ong has a 58 percent stake at Whirlwind, but lawmakers have uncovered that she worked for both companies.
During the hearing earlier, it was revealed that the top boss at Whirlwind, a certain Duanren Wu who happens to be Ong’s godfather, is a former Chinese police officer.
Ong was also grilled by lawmakers for refusing to answer questions again. After this, Ong fell ill, and had to be brought to a hospital for further examination.