Roque apologizes, vows to cooperate in investigation of Chinese fugitive

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque apologized to Chinese authorities and vowed to fully cooperate with concerned national government agencies in bringing the man arrested in a house he partly owns in Tuba, Benguet, to justice.

Reports revealed that Khuon Moeurn, 37, who claimed to be a Cambodian national, was a “very high-level” Chinese fugitive who had evaded arrest in his home country, according to Senator Risa Hontiveros. 

Roque assured Philippine and Chinese authorities that PH2 Corporation, where he is a stockholder, would never abet or harbor a wanted foreign criminal in any of its properties, and that the company “rescinded its lease contract with its Chinese female lessee, Wan Yun.”

He explained that they did not know that Wan Yun had a male partner who turned out to be a fugitive from China and that both parties had already “terminated the contract” in July.

“The officers and stockholders of PH2 Corporate shall fully cooperate with the Embassy of China and our law enforcers in investigating the said Chinese fugitive. We apologize specifically to the Chinese authorities that a person whom we did not know to be a fugitive in their county took residence in the leased property,” Roque said in a statement on Tuesday evening. 

“When the Corporation entered into a lease contract with Ms. Wan Yun on January 15, 2024, she identified herself as a single Chinese national. The same information is indicated in Ms. Wan Yun’s passport and alien registration certificate,” he added. 

“No officer or stockholder of PH2 knew that a wanted person in his home country was staying at its corporate-owned house in Pinewoods Golf and Country Club in Tuba, Benguet,” Roque pointed out.

Roque also reiterated that he never lobbied for the license renewal of the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo) Lucky South 99.

“In the July 10 and July 29 Senate hearing[s] on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo), Chairman Tengco testified under oath that we only discussed the rescheduling of arrears payment of my client, Whirlwind Corporation,” he said. 

“The Pagcor chair never once said that I lobbied for any Pogo. Those who state otherwise are spreading lies to defame and destroy my reputation,” he added. 

In a Senate hearing last July 10, Tenco said Roque called his office in July 2023, asking if he could have an appointment with Pagcor.

The Pagcor chief also revealed that Roque was with Cassandra Lee Ong of Lucky South 99, adding that they were seeking to settle the license and unpaid arrears of the firm.

Before this, Pagcor had already disclosed that a former “high-ranking” Cabinet official had been lobbying for the granting of licenses to illegal Pogos, which were recently raided.

But Tengco, during the hearing, insisted that Roque “did not pressure” Pagcor to grant a license to Lucky South 99.

On the other hand, Atty. Jessa Fernandez of Pagcor said Roque reached out to her office six times. One of these instances includes Roque asking which documents are still needed for the Pogo hub to be granted a license.