Roque’s wife hits back at Barbers

MANILA, Philippines — The wife of former presidential spokesman Harry Roque yesterday hit back at House of Representatives’ quad comm co-chair and Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, after the latter said that she has already left the country for Singapore amid an investigation on the couple’s alleged links to Philippines offshore gaming operators (POGOs).

In a message to The STAR, Mylah Roque said that she is in Singapore for medical treatment, contradicting Barbers’ claim that she left the country in the first week of September and would allegedly proceed to the United States.

“I flew to Singapore for treatment, but his malicious interpretation proves why his panel never accepted any of my medical certificates; not just from my long-time doctor, but even hospital records,” Roque said. She did not elaborate on the nature of the treatment.

“And I traveled because I have a right to travel as guaranteed by the Constitution,” Roque added.

At the same time, she denied that she is an incorporator of Lucky South 99, an illegal POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga.

“Ace Barbers is an abusive individual. He abuses his immunity from libel with a claim that I am an incorporator of Lucky South even when there is no single document linking me to it,” Roque said.

According to the panel, Roque is listed as an incorporator of Lucky South 99. She was also allegedly the signatory to the lease contract for a house in Tuba, Benguet where two Chinese nationals linked to POGOs were arrested.

“And Cong. Barbers, you are not somebody who can declare my family ‘wasak’ (ruined). Check your mirror,” she said.

The quad comm issued Thursday night a show-cause order to Roque to compel her to attend the panel’s hearings on the activities of POGOs.

Barbers replies

For his part, Barbers vehemently denied being an “abusive individual.”

“If she would have the time to watch the quad comm hearings, from the first to the sixth, our latest, which can be viewed in various social media platforms, she can clearly observe and see that, as quad comm chair, I was the one who acts as the ‘rudder’ of the team, very calmly leading House leaders and panel members in toning down some unnecessary remarks or comments as the probe goes on,” Barbers said

The lawmaker corrected Roque that “only her husband, Harry Roque, had been linked to said gambling firm, not Mrs. Myla Roque.

“Mrs. Roque’s name cropped up in the hearings because she was the one who signed the lease agreement to a wanted Chinese IT expert who is in hiding, after the latter’s POGO firm in Porac, Pampanga was raided by PAOCC (Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission) agents for various violations of the law,” Barbers said

He said that Biancham Holdings and Trading Inc., the Roque family-owned company, leased their property to fugitive Cambodian Sun Liming and his Chinese partner, Wang Keping, both allegedly engaged in financial scams victimizing investors in China.

“On her trip to Singapore to seek medical treatment, the medical documents she has submitted so far to the quad comm were mere results from a certain diagnostic laboratory and did not clearly indicate details on the health issues she is facing,” Barbers added.

He clarified that it was committee on public order and safety chairman, Abang Lingkod Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano and Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop “who sought the medical records coming from your doctors, not me.”

“As to her claim that I declared her family as ‘wasak,’ I think I would be the last person to say that,” Barbers said.

He added that “Mr. Roque’s close executive assistant AR dela Serna’s disclosure and admission during the hearings, that they are maintaining a ‘joint bank account’ worth P3 million could have adversely affected or damaged his reputation.”

“When I was asked for comment by the media covering the quad comm hearing – Mr. Roque’s claim that quad comm is destroying his family – my answer was: Do not blame us, ask yourself instead,” Barbers said.

He maintained that Harry Roque’s “continued refusal to submit the vital documents he promised to provide the quad comm only increased the lawmakers’ curiosity on the sudden increase of his wealth, from P125,000 in 2016, to P125 million in 2018.”

“If you and Mr. Roque really have nothing to hide, particularly his alleged links to illegal POGO, then you should both attend the quad comm hearings, be transparent and open all your cards,” Barbers said.