Palace to Roque: Go home, prove accusations

Malacañang said former presidential spokesman Harry Roque has failed to provide evidence to support his accusations of labeling President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. as “bangag."

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro reiterated her call for former presidential spokesman Harry Roque to return to the Philippines.

“Go home,” Castro said at a Palace briefing when asked for his message to Roque.

In a video he shared on his social media account, Roque called on Senator Imee Marcos, the President’s sister, to confirm whether her brother is indeed using illegal drugs.

Earlier, Castro remarked that there was "nothing new" about the allegations that Roque was behind the so-called “polvoron video,” which aimed to make it appear that Marcos was using illegal drugs.

It was vlogger Vicente Bencalo "Pebbles" Cunanan who linked Roque to the distribution of the alleged President’s polvoron video, which was presented in a hearing of the House TriComm's inquiry into the spread of fake news online.

Castro said Roque appeared to be involved in disseminating misinformation.

“Unang-una po, si Attorney Harry Roque, ay lumalabas na ngayon bilang fakenews peddler. Siya po ang sinasabing nagpakalat ng isang fake full horum video, at ngayong wala pa siyang napapatunayan at wala siyang ebidensiya, kahit na nga iyong kanyang ebidensiya sa Quadcom ay hindi pa rin niya napapatunayan, ngayon ay maghahanap pa siya ng tulong para makapagbigay ng ebidensiya (First and foremost, Attorney Harry Roque is now being seen as a fake news peddler. He is said to be the one who spread a fake 'full horum' video, and now, since he has not proven anything and has no evidence, even his evidence in Quadcom has not been substantiated, he is now seeking help to provide evidence),” she lamented.

“Sila po ang nagsasabi ng ganitong mga klaseng akusasyon, hindi na niya kakailanganin ng tulong kung mayroon po siyang ebidensiya (They are the ones making these kinds of accusations; he wouldn’t need help if he had evidence),” she added.

The National Bureau of Investigation has filed complaints for inciting sedition against Roque and vlogger Claire “Maharlika” Contreras in relation to the so-called "polvoron" video.

Castro earlier urged Roque to return home after he reappeared in The Hague, Netherlands, following the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court.