Vlogger links Roque to 'polvoron' video; Harry says, that's funny

Vlogger Vicente Bencalo "Pebbles" Cunanan has linked former presidential spokesman Harry Roque to the spread of a video meant to make it appear that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was using drugs allegedly to bring down his administration.

In a hearing of the House TriComm's inquiry into the spread of fake news online, Cunanan said Roque told her about a screenshot from the video on July 7, 2024 when supporters of former President Rodrigo Duterte gathered at a rally in Hong Kong.

The National Bureau of Investigation on July 23, 2024 said that forensic analysis showed that the man using drugs in what has since been called the 'polvoron' video was not Marcos.

"Ayon sa aking rekoleksyon, mayroon pa ngang naging usapan na isang foreign influencer or vlogger ang dapat mag post o panggalingan ng video para magmukhang mas kapani-paniwala at upang maiwasan ang anumang posibleng pananagutan mula sa gobyerno ng ating bansa,” Cunanan said.

(From what I remember, there was even a discussion that it should be a foreign influencer or vlogger who should post the video so that it would be more believable and evade any accountability from our government.)

Cunanan said that on July 22, 2024, the day of Marcos' State of the Nation Address, Roque sent her a message to say that the video had a raw version and another that was enhanced.

"Sa enhanced version na ipinadala sa akin, sa aking pagkakaintindi ay in-edit at in-augment ang video upang magmukhang si Pangulong BBM mismo ang nasa eksena," Cunanan said.

(From what I understand, the enhanced version sent to me was edited and augmented to make it look like it was President BBM in the scene.)

"Dahil dito, lalong tumibay ang aking paniniwala na ang video ay sinadyang ipakalat ni Attorney Roque at ilang DDS personalities upang magdulot ng batikos at kontrobersya laban kay PBBM bago ang kanyang SONA,” she added.

(This bolstered my belief that Attorney Roque and DDS personalities deliberately spread the video to draw criticisms and cause a controversy against PBBM before his SONA.)

Cunanan recalled Roque saying in their July 2024 gathering after the Maisug rally in Hong Kong that he had the skills to bring down governments.

“Ang labis ko ring natandaan noong gabing iyon ay nang sabihin ni Atty. Roque na, 'Magaling ako magpabagsak ng gobyerno'," Cunanan said.

(What I can clearly remember is that Atty. Roque said he is very good at bringing down governments.)

“Kung kaya naman, base sa aking mga nabanggit, ako ay naniniwalang si Atty. Roque ang orihinal na pinagmulan ng polvoron video at ang siyang nagpakalat nito sa publiko pang sirain ang kredibilidad ng Pangulo,” Cunanan added.

(And that is why I am convinced that the video originated with Atty. Roque and he was the one who made the video viral to the public to destroy the credibility of the President.)

In response to Cunanan’s allegations, Roque said he told Cunanan that he had a source who had access to the polvoron video but maintained that he could not bring down the Marcos government.

“Nakakatawa naman ‘yan. Wala naman ako kahit isang baril. Wala rin akong sinabing gumamit tayo ng dahas,” Roque said.

(That is so funny. I don’t have a single gun, and I did not say anything about taking up arms.)

“Either nagsisinungaling siya (Cunanan) o wala talaga siyang alam,” Roque added.

(She is either lying or she does not know anything.)

Roque then speculated that Cunanan might have made the testimony in exchange for a favor.

“Nalungkot ako, siguro talagang matindi ang pangangailangan dahil ang inaasahan lang niya ay online selling,” Roque said.

(I was told, maybe she is in dire straits because her source of living is only online selling.)

“Realidad ‘yan ng buhay na kailangan mabuhay. Naaawa rin ako sa kanya,” Roque added.

(That is the reality of life, we need to survive. I pity her.) –NB, GMA Integrated News