Roque, wife face PAOCC probe following arrest of fugitive

Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque and his wife Mylah will be among those investigated following the arrest of a fugitive in a house owned by a company they have interests in, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said yesterday.

- JANVIC MATEO

PAOCC Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, in an interview with “Storycon” on One News, said owners of the corporation that owns the raided house in Tuba, Benguet may face charges for harboring a criminal.

Two foreigners were arrested during the raid conducted by PAOCC on the house owned by PH2 Corp., which Roque confirmed to have interests in.

One of those arrested was later reported to have been on Interpol’s red notice list over a financial fraud case in China.

“Former spokesperson Harry Roque… will be part of our investigation being conducted by PAOCC,” Cruz said.

“He said that there is a lessee and lessor contract between (the company) and those who were arrested, so that has to be explained,” he added.

Lack of knowledge of the fugitive’s status is not an excuse for anyone to be excluded from their investigation, Cruz said. “A case has to be filed… explain it before the court,” he noted.

In an earlier statement, Roque said officers and stockholders of PH2 Corp. will fully cooperate with the investigation.

“We apologize specifically to the Chinese authorities that a person whom we did not know to be a fugitive in their country took residence in the leased property,” he said.

Roque said PH2 entered into a lease contract on Jan. 15 with Wan Yun, who identified herself as a single Chinese national.

“Unfortunately, we were unaware that Ms. Wan Yun has a male partner who has evaded arrest in China. We will never allow our properties to be leased by any Filipino or foreign fugitive from justice,” he added.

Roque said the lease contract was terminated in July.

Criminal past

Sen. Risa Hontiveros yesterday bared the criminal records of the Chinese fugitive who was apprehended in the Benguet house linked to Roque.