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MANILA, Philippines — Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque should face head-on whatever charges or cases will be filed against him, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said.
“Harapin niya 'yung kung ano man ‘yung sinasakdal sa kanya. Harapin niya (He should face whatever charges are brought against him),” he said on Wednesday, March 19, at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.
Asked about Roque’s plan to seek political asylum in the Netherlands, Remulla said, “Wala pa ngang nangyayari, tumatakas na siya eh (Nothing has even happened yet, and he's already trying to escape.)”
Roque has been implicated in a qualified human trafficking complaint filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) in relation to his alleged involvement in the illegal operations of offshore scam hubs or POGOs.
No formal case has been filed in court, as the case remains at the Office of the Prosecutor.
“Harapin niya. Abogado pa naman siya. Hindi siya sumusunod sa batas (He should face it. He's a lawyer, yet he doesn't follow the law),” Remulla said.
RELATED: Harry Roque named in human trafficking case linked to Porac POGO
Awaiting resolution
Regarding the status of the complaint, the justice secretary said the panel of prosecutors are still evaluating the evidence. He added that the DOJ does not “influence what they should think.”
“We’re waiting for the resolution of the case from the panel of prosecutors. … We’re very, very circumspect about evaluating the evidence. We make sure that they go with their work unhampered,” he said.
Remulla said that if probable cause is found, formal charges may be filed before a court.
“And when that is said and done, then whatever case that needs to be filed will be filed,” he said.
The human trafficking complaint stems from the allegation that Roque served as the legal counsel of now-defunct Lucky South 99, a POGO discovered by law enforcement to have committed criminal activities.
He has since denied this, only saying he accompanied its authorized representative Cassandra Li Ong to settle debts of real estate firm WhirlWind Corp.
Possible Interpol watchlist?
Since receiving multiple contempt citations and a detention order from the House Quad Committee investigating POGOs, Roque has evaded authorities and remained out of reach.
However, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) revealed in a Senate hearing that Roque traveled to Dubai, Macau and Japan.
He was first seen by Philippine media in The Hague, Netherlands, outside the International Criminal Court (ICC), just hours before former President Rodrigo Duterte’s initial appearance before the tribunal on March 14.
BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in an interview with Teleradyo Serbisyo on Wednesday that if a court issues an arrest warrant against Roque, he could be placed on the International Criminal Police Organization’s (Interpol) watchlist.
For now, she said, Roque is only subject to an immigration lookout bulletin to monitor his travel, as no court has issued a warrant for his arrest.
“Kung meron po siyang, halimbawa, there is an arrest warrant issued against him, sa ngayon po kasi wala pang inisyu ang korte ng mga arrest warrant against him, pwede po 'yan ilagay sa Interpol watchlist,” she explained.
(If, for example, there is an arrest warrant issued against him — though as of now, no court has issued one — he can be placed on Interpol's watchlist.)
She added that placing Roque on Interpol’s watchlist would allow other agencies to assist the Philippine government in facilitating his return.
However, the BI suspects that Roque may have used the same escape route as dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, the alleged mastermind behind a POGO scandal.
