DOJ looking into Roque private plane escape angle

Justice Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez revealed that authorities are investigating the possibility that former presidential spokesperson Harry L. Roque left the country using a private plane.

In an interview on DZBB, Vasquez said, "This is being looked into by the Bureau of Immigration."

Vasquez emphasized the need to improve processes, citing a previous incident involving dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, who allegedly fled to Indonesia using a private plane. Guo was later arrested by Indonesian authorities and returned to the Philippines.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado clarified that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), not the Bureau of Immigration (BI), has jurisdiction over private hangars.

"Even flying schools can fly persons out of the Philippines," Vasquez explained, adding that immigration officers only go to private hangars when specifically requested.

He further noted that the BI faces a manpower shortage, limiting its ability to deploy officers to private hangars, even as it struggles to cover airports.

Roque was confirmed to have left the Philippines after submitting a counter-affidavit notarized in Abu Dhabi in response to a qualified trafficking in persons complaint filed against him.

Viado earlier stated that the BI is exploring the possibility of filing cases against Roque, suspecting he might have left the country through illegal means with the aid of unscrupulous individuals.