House quad panel issues subpoena to Roque's former assistant

The House quad committee confirmed on Sunday that it had issued a subpoena against former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque's ex-executive assistant Alberto Rodulfo "AR" De la Serna, who defied a congressional summon.

The four committees invited De la Serna to shed light on its latest investigation on issues involving illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) on 22 August. He, however, failed to appear before the panel but requested permission to be excused from attending the inquiry.

Abang Lingkod Partylist Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, chairperson of the House Committee on Public Accounts that comprised the quad committee, did not buy De la Serna's excuse and moved to subpoena him, which was later approved by the committee.

"The excuse letter that was signed by Atty. [Kevin] Agustin is not valid," Paduano declared, pointing out that the lawyer provided no proof of his legal authority to represent De la Serna.

On 16 August, the quad comm issued a show cause order against De la Serna as part of its rigorous investigation into the potential links between POGOs, illegal drug trade, unlawful land acquisitions by Chinese nationals, and extrajudicial killings allegedly committed by the Duterte administration's "war on drugs," which resulted in over 7,000 deaths.

However, despite the strong summon, De la Serna snubbed anew the 22 August hearing, pushing the committee to escalate its actions by issuing a subpoena ad testificandum.

When Roque's name became entangled in the government's crackdown on POGO hubs operated by Chinese high-rollers, Dela Serna—a former male pageant contestant who represented the Philippines in the 2016 Mister Supranational competition in Poland—also came under intense public scrutiny.

De la Serna's connection to Roque was revealed during a raid by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) on the Lucky South 99 compound in Porac, a known POGO hub.

During the raid, authorities discovered De la Serna's appointment papers as Executive Assistant III under Roque's office, dated 5 October 2021, along with an affidavit from Roque assuming full responsibility for De la Serna's financial needs during a trip to Poland, Ukraine, and Italy in October 2023.

These findings have raised serious questions about the nature of their relationship and the legitimacy of their travels.

Despite Roque's denial, panel members strongly believe that the former Malacanang mouthpiece has a connection to Lucky South 99.

The PAOCC also implicated Roque in illegal POGO operation, having found that his name consistently appears in documents and testimonies related to the gambling industry.

"We cannot discount his possible involvement in all of these matters. I don't believe in coincidence anymore as far as Harry Roque is concerned," PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said.

Roque was detained at the House of Representatives on Thursday for 24 hours for supposedly lying before the quad committee on why he missed its first hearing on 16 August in Porac, Pampanga.

Roque told the panel that he could not attend the hearing because he had a scheduled appearance at the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC).

However, Kabayan Partylist Rep. Ron Salo presented a certification from the RTC's Clerk of Court, showing Roque had no scheduled hearings on the said date. The certification indicated that Roque's court appearance was held on 15 August, contradicting his excuse.