Statement of Malacañang To Harry Roque after he Called Marcos “Bangag”
MALACAÑANG – The Palace called on former presidential spokesman Harry Roque to “go home” to the Philippines.
Countless Filipinos were surprised when former presidential spokesman Harry Roque appeared in The Hague, Netherlands following the arrest of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. It was his first time to be spotted in public after around 6 months of hiding.
Roque is linked to the illegal operation of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country. He was cited for contempt by the House of Representatives and his arrest was ordered but he went into hiding.
Previously, the former presidential spokesman claimed that he will be one of the lawyers of Duterte in his ICC trial. It earned a comment from Malacañang who said that Harry Roque must defend himself first before other people. The Palace also urged the Filipinos to call for the return of Duterte’s former spokesman.
Amid the calls for his return to the country, Harry Roque filed for asylum in the Netherlands. According to the former presidential spokesman, he cannot be deported in the Philippines while the process for the application for asylum is ongoing. He stressed that it may take up to one and a half year.
Contrary to the previous pronouncement of Roque, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte claimed that the ICC legal team of her father will not include the former presidential spokesman as well as former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea. The Vice President stressed that they want the lawyers in the ICC legal team of the former President to really focus on the case.
The ICC legal team of Duterte is led by British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman. French lawyer Dov Jacobs is also an associate counsel.
Recently, amid Harry Roque applying for asylum in the Netherlands, Malacañang reiterated the call for his return to the country. Based on a report on GMA News, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro made the statement after she was asked for her message to the former presidential spokesman after he called Pres. Bongbong Marcos “bangag”.
“Go home,” the Malacañang Press Officer said.
Based on the report, Roque is accused of being the person behind the “polvoron video” that triggered drug use speculations against Pres. Marcos. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed complaints against Roque as well as vlogger Claire “Maharlika” Contreras.