Palace presses Roque to return, face charges in the Phl

Malacañang urged former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque to return to the Philippines since he is no longer part of the defense legal team of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing crimes against humanity charges in The Hague, Netherlands.

In a press briefing on Friday, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said it would be better for Roque to go home and face the allegations against him during the previous House QuadComm hearing.

“Siguro po, mas maganda po talaga since hindi naman po siya parte ng legal team ni dating Pangulong Duterte, hindi po ba iyan ang kaniyang dahilan kung bakit hindi siya uuwi, mas maganda pong umuwi muna siya dito at patunayan niya po talaga na siya po ay walang kasalanan (Maybe it’s really better since he is not part of the legal team of former President Duterte, wasn’t that his reason for not coming back, it would be better if he comes home first and truly prove that he is innocent),” Castro told reporters.

Roque is currently facing an arrest warrant issued by the House Quad Committee in connection with its investigation into the former Palace official’s alleged involvement in illegal operations of a raided Philippine offshore gaming operator in Porac, Pampanga.

“Sabi nga po natin, siya mismo po ang nag-amin, siya po mismo, galing sa kaniyang bibig ang mga kuwento, ang mga dokumentong kaniyang sinabi sa Quad Comm hearing. Hindi po ba mas maganda na siya na rin po ang mag-present nito para mapatunayan niyang siya ay malinis (As we said, he himself admitted it, it came from his own mouth, the stories and the documents he mentioned in the Quad Comm hearing. Wouldn't it be better if he himself presents these to prove that he is innocent?),” Castro stressed.

Roque recently said he is applying for asylum in the Netherlands.

Earlier this week, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said the QuadComm is considering an inquiry into the status of Roque’s arrest as well as the cases filed against him.

“I understand the House QuadComm is planning to have a hearing immediately just to know what’s the status of the arrest order and what the Department of Justice is doing about these pending cases,” Velasco told reporters in a chance interview at the Senate on 18 March.

Velasco noted that Roque's cases remain under the jurisdiction of the House QuadComm.

“It was the QuadComm which issued the arrest order and of course, I co-signed the arrest order, but the House doesn’t have jurisdiction over consular matters. It’s really the DFA. But according to the DFA, it has to have a court order before they can cancel the passport of Mr. Harry Roque,” he said.

On 13 September, the House QuadComm cited Roque in contempt and ordered his detention after he declined to submit documents meant to explain his sudden increase in wealth.

Roque previously criticized the contempt order, saying “there was no actual lying” on his part when the House lawmakers ordered his detention.

He then skipped the subsequent QuadComm hearings and reportedly left the country.

Roque only physically resurfaced in The Hague, Netherlands, with Vice President Sara Duterte.