Roque slams ‘polvoron video’ claims, calls vlogger testimony 'scripted'

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque broke his silence Tuesday night to rebuff allegations linking him to the circulation of the so-called “polvoron video” — a clip purportedly showing President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. snorting cocaine.

Roque, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, pushed back against the claims made during a House inquiry by social media personality Vincent Cunanan, also known as “Pebbles.”

Cunanan had testified that Roque was involved in discussions to release the video and even allegedly boasted at a private dinner, “I’m good at bringing down governments,” the former Palace mouthpiece allegedly said in Filipino.

Roque dismissed the entire hearing as political theater, claiming it was “scripted” and built on unverified accusations. “That’s not true. It’s not in my power to bring down a government. The fate of President Marcos lies in the hands of the Filipino people — not in mine,” Roque said.

He also rejected Cunanan’s affidavit as meaningless.

“He believes I was behind the video and its release. But opinion is different from truth,” he added. “That affidavit does not mean anything.”

‘A ready-made script’

Roque pointed to several inconsistencies in Cunanan’s story, including the claim that the video premiered in Vancouver.

“First of all, Maharlika was never in Vancouver. And the video didn’t debut there. It premiered in Los Angeles; even Maharlika herself, once a Marcos defender, confirmed that,” he said.

He also mocked the idea that a blogger was now being used as an expert witness in a congressional probe.

“I thought vloggers were fake news peddlers? When did Pebbles become a forensic expert?” Roque quipped. “The TriComm has a ready script, complete with a PowerPoint presentation, featuring the photo of the dinner, the video, and screenshots.”

Taking a jab at the nature of the allegations, Roque added:
“If BBM allegedly has a drug problem, mine is a food trip. There’s no way I’m close enough to the President to be trusted with any compromising material.”

‘Someone close to Marcos’

Roque suggested that the clip could only have come from someone within the President’s inner circle.

“Only someone close to Marcos could’ve taken that video and given it to Maharlika,” he said on Facebook, denying that he had access to such sensitive footage.

Roque also expressed regret over Cunanan’s role in the proceedings, saying he once saw him as a friend.

“It saddened me to see him make a 360-degree turn,” he said.

Maharlika, who joined Roque during a livestream reaction to the hearing, said she believed Cunanan may have been coerced to testify.

“He looked like he had a shotgun pointed at him just to speak,” she said. “He definitely knows BBM is a drug addict — but now he’s too afraid to say it.”