Bianca Roque, the daughter of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, filed a petition with the Supreme Court on Monday, seeking to protect her father from arrest after the House of Representatives ordered his detention. The House’s Quad Committee had demanded financial documents from Harry Roque as part of an investigation into illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), but he refused to submit them.
Bianca requested a writ of amparo and a Temporary Protection Order, arguing that the House panel violated her father’s constitutional rights. She also sought a writ of prohibition to block any further demands for documents or appearances from her father. Lawmakers suspect Roque of having connections to illegal POGO operations due to a sudden increase in his assets.
The petition also criticized the House committee’s actions, arguing that a person should not be jailed for refusing to provide self-incriminating documents. The committee has been investigating POGOs and extrajudicial killings linked to the Duterte administration, with a seventh public hearing set to take place this week.