Former presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo believes former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque's "persecution" has reasons beyond his status as a critic.

In an interview with DZRH on Monday, Panelo said Roque must return to the Philippines and face charges not related to his criticism.

"What’s the reason why he’s being persecuted? If the reason is because he’s a critic, I’m also a critic, and there are many other critics, even severe ones. Why aren’t they being sued? Maybe he did something or did something that those investigating think should lead to him being sued," Panelo said.

When asked about his active involvement in The Hague proceedings, Panelo said the case is best handled by foreign lawyers.

"From the very start, I’ve said that the ones who should handle that are foreign lawyers. They are the ones who know about it; they are the ones practicing there. They should be the lawyers," he said.

Panelo added that Filipino lawyers should only be consulted when there are questions specifically about Philippine law.

He emphasized that since Roque is also a lawyer, he must face the charges, as he has the proper knowledge regarding the proceedings of his "persecution."