Roque denies land-grabbing allegations as NBI probes Bataan case

Former presidential spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque has denied allegations of land grabbing filed by 17 farmers before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), insisting that he neither stole nor claimed ownership of any land title or parcel.

Roque issued the denial in a social media post on March 25, attributing the accusations to Ramil Madriaga, whom he described as a self-proclaimed “bagman” of Vice President Sara Duterte, and dismissing the claims as fabricated and politically motivated.

“Hindi ko po alam kung anong reklamong isinampa nila. Wala po akong kahit anong pinirmahan. Wala po akong kahit sinong ninakawan ng titulo ng lupa,” he said.

The denial came as the NBI confirmed it is conducting an investigation following complaints from farmers over the alleged illegal transfer of agrarian land in Bataan.

According to the NBI National Capital Region (NCR), the complainants appeared before its office on March 23, 2026, to execute sworn statements and submit supporting documents related to the case.

The complaint alleges that parcels of land covered by Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) were transferred to a private corporation reportedly linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) without the required clearance from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

Preliminary information also points to possible falsification of documents in the processing and transfer of the land titles, raising concerns over the legality of the transactions.

The NBI-NCR said it is conducting a thorough case build-up to determine the existence of probable cause and identify individuals who may be held criminally liable.

The bureau assured the public that the investigation will be carried out impartially and in accordance with existing laws, particularly those protecting agrarian reform beneficiaries.