Former presidential spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque has responded to allegations made by Ramil Madriaga during his recent testimony before the House of Representatives, calling the claims “baseless” and “unsupported by evidence.”

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Roque addressed Madriaga’s accusations that Roque had personally targeted him over an alleged land-grabbing issue. Roque denied this, stating that there was no such personal motive behind the kidnapping case in which Madriaga is involved.

“The truth is straightforward: During the preliminary investigation of the kidnapping case, Mr. Madrigada never once alleged any personal motive on my part,” Roque said.

He claimed that the case against Madriaga was based on sworn statements from victims and the findings of the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group, which traced Madriaga’s cousin during the ransom payment and linked him to Madriaga.

Regarding the land-grabbing allegations, Roque emphasized that there is no pending case against him in relation to this matter. 

On 25 March, a group of farmers from Mariveles, Bataan filed a land-grabbing complaint against Roque and several others, alleging the unlawful transfer of ownership of parcels of land protected under the agrarian reform law.

Roque, on the other hand, acknowledged an ongoing National Bureau of Investigation investigation into possible document falsification but noted that this investigation had only recently come to light and was unrelated to the kidnapping case.

He also insisted that he did not know Madriaga before his involvement in the kidnapping case and that the allegations against him were based solely on the evidence gathered by law enforcement.

“The public deserves clarity and accurate information, not false narratives,” Roque said.