Alberto Rodulfo “AR” Dela Serna confirmed in a House of Representatives hearing on Wednesday that he shares a joint bank account with Atty. Harry Roque, a prominent lawyer and former public official. During the quad committee session, Dela Serna disclosed, “I have a joint account with Atty. Harry Roque… sa pagkakaalam ko po Mr. Chair, closed na ang account na iyon.”
Dela Serna revealed that the largest single deposit into the account was P3 million, which he recalled was used for election-related expenses. He admitted to withdrawing between P1.2 million and P1.8 million from the account monthly, explaining, “Once a month yun for election purposes. Payroll ng mga tao.”
Further, Dela Serna shared details of his travels with Roque, stating they went abroad together six times in 2023, including trips to Hong Kong for a movie premiere involving the Marcos family, and to Beijing, China. He justified his frequent companionship with Roque by saying, “Sana’y po kasi ako magtrabaho kasama si Sir Harry… alam ko yung medical needs ni Atty. Roque.”
When questioned about his reduced salary of P20,000 compared to his previous earnings, Dela Serna noted he stayed with Roque due to the potential benefits from a business venture they were pursuing together, specifically a solar power project in Cebu.
Despite concerns raised by lawmakers, including Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing, about the transparency and risk associated with the joint account, Dela Serna defended his decision to trust Roque, stating, “Hindi naman ako ipapahamak ni Atty. Roque… iyon po ang basis ko to trust Atty. Roque.”