Harry Roque Arrest Warrant: DOJ Gives Update
DOJ – The Department of Justice confirmed the preparation of documents for the request of an Interpol Red Notice against Harry Roque.
Former presidential spox Harry Roque is faced with an arrest warrant issued by a local court in the Philippines. The former spokesman is being investigated over his alleged involvement with the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming operations in the country.
Harry Roque was out from the public’s sight for several months after the House of Representatives cited him for contempt and issued an arrest order against the former presidential spokesman. He was seen again in March in The Hague, Netherlands.
Roque claimed that he will be part of the legal team of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte who is currently detained in The Hague, Netherlands. The former Chief Executive is faced with an allegation of crime against humanity over the war on drugs of his administration.
However, shortly after Harry Roque made the claim, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte announced that he will not be part of the ICC legal team of former Pres. Duterte. According to the Vice President, they want the lawyers who will compose her father’s legal team to really be focusing on his ICC case.
Former presidential spox Harry Roque previously revealed that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte allegedly advised him to process his bid for asylum. Following the issue of an arrest warrant, the DOJ stressed that it is “prosecution, not persecution” of Harry Roque.
However, the DOJ also admitted that it cannot serve the arrest warrant of Harry Roque right away because the former presidential spokesman is an asylum seeker in the Netherlands. According to a Justice Official, usually, the application process has to be finished first.
Meanwhile, the DOJ clarified that it does not mean that the arrest warrant against Harry Roque is on hold. It is just that it can be processed now but the implementation depends on the state where the accused is an asylum seeker. Recently, based on a report on GMA News, the Justice department confirmed that it is preparing the documents for the request of an Interpol Red Notice against the former presidential spox. The Red Notice refers to a request to locate/arrest the person.
“We are still preparing the documents needed for an Interpol request for a red notice,” Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano said.
According to him, while there are a lot of options for the DOJ on the case of Harry Roque amid the presence of an arrest warrant against him, the department is “in the process of identifying the best course of action”.
Amid the issue, former senator Leila de Lima whom Harry Roque has previously wished to be spending the rest of her life in jail called on him to come back and face the accusations against him.