Roque: DOJ chief’s Czech trip ‘unnecessary, costly junket’

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Sunday lashed out at Justice Secretary Frederick Vida over his official trip to the Czech Republic, questioning both its purpose and its cost to taxpayers.

Roque argued that efforts to bring back former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co could have been handled by the Philippine ambassador to Prague, without the need for a high-level delegation from Manila.

“Mahiya naman kayo. Secretary Vida, hindi kita kilala (Have some shame. Secretary Vida, I don’t know you)” Roque said bluntly.

While stressing he had “no personal issue” with Vida, Roque criticized what he described as an expensive and unnecessary foreign mission amid rising travel costs.

“I have no axe to grind against you, pero mahiya naman dahil sa panahon ngayon na napakamahal bumiyahe, sana sinabihan mo na ang iyong Presidente. Tama na siguro ang ambassador natin sa Czech Republic ang gumawa ng hakbang para mapabalik siya? (I have no personal grudge against you, but have some shame, especially now that travel is very expensive. You should have told your President. Maybe it would have been enough for our ambassador in the Czech Republic to take steps to bring him back?),”  he said. 

Roque insisted that the Philippine ambassador in Prague is already fully capable of engaging the Czech authorities on the matter.

“Sa tingin mo ba mas magiging epektibo ka kaysa sa ambassador natin na kilala ang ‘who’s who’ sa Czech government? Sa totoo lang, ipapakilala ka lang doon (Do you think you would be more effective than our ambassador, who knows the ‘who’s who’ in the Czech government? To be honest, they would just be introducing you there),” he added.

He also pointed out that ambassadors act as the President’s official representative abroad, making a separate high-level delegation redundant.

“Pareho lang kayo ng personalidad dahil ang ambassador is also an alter ego of the President while in his diplomatic post. So superfluous na ikaw pupunta diyan. Tama na ang ambassador (You have the same authority because the ambassador is also the President’s alter ego while serving in a diplomatic post. So your trip there is unnecessary. The ambassador is enough),” he said. 

Roque further alleged that the trip was unnecessary and suggested it served other interests.

“Gusto mo lang talaga mag-junket kasama ang iyong mga kasama (You just really want to go on a junket with your companions),” he said.

On 24 April , Vida and Chief State Counsel Dennis Chan traveled to Prague for talks with Czech authorities on possible legal mechanisms to return Co to the Philippines, where he faces corruption and malversation charges.

The Philippine high-level coordinating team also met with Philippine Ambassador to the Czech Republic Eduardo Martin Meñez to align diplomatic and legal strategies aimed at facilitating Co’s possible repatriation.

Co’s presence in the Czech Republic was earlier confirmed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on 16 April, after he was reportedly intercepted while attempting to enter Prague without the required travel documentation.