Official of DOJ Speaks on Arrest Warrant vs. Former Presidential Spox Harry Roque
DOJ – The Department of Justice explained why the arrest warrant of former presidential spokesman Harry Roque cannot be served.
Amid his application for asylum in the Netherlands, a local court in the Philippines issued an arrest warrant against former presidential spox Harry Roque, Cassandra Ong, and 49 others. It was over the investigation on the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming operations in the country.
The Department of Justice or DOJ stressed that the arrest warrant against Harry Roque is a “prosecution, not persecution”. He was out from the public sight for around six (6) months since the House of Representatives cited him for contempt and ordered his arrest.
Roque was again spotted in public in The Hague, Netherlands — when her former boss, ex-Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, was placed under the custody of the International Criminal Court. He initially claimed he will be part of Duterte’s legal team.
However, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte clarified that Harry Roque will not be part of her father’s legal team. According to the Vice President, they want the lawyers of the former President to be really focused on his case before the ICC. As for Roque, she stressed that he must focus on his asylum bid first.
Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque previously announced that he is an asylum seek in the Netherlands. According to him, while the process for the application for asylum is ongoing, he allegedly cannot be deported to the Philippines. He stressed that the process may take more than a year.
Recently, an official of the DOJ explained that the arrest warrant of Harry Roque cannot be served because of his bid for asylum in the Netherlands. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, Justice Chief State Counsel and Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Unit Head Dennis Arvin Chan said that the application process for an asylum must usually be completed first just like the process in the Philippines.
“Dito sa Philippines, if we are faced with that scenario, kailangan matapos muna ‘yung refugee application. So mangunguna ‘yun above all other proceedings,” he said.
According to Chan, upon receiving an information that there is an arrest warrant, the DOJ will just inform the concerned authorities about the pending application that is necessary to be resolved first before the serving of the arrest warrant.
Meanwhile, based on the report, the DOJ Official clarified that it does not mean that the arrest warrant is on hold. According to him, it can be processed now but it is up to the concerned authorities abroad on how it would be implemented.
“Hindi ko naman masabi na on hold [yung warrant], it can be processed already. Now as to how it will be implemented, that is up for the Netherland authorities how they will treat it,” he explained.
Amid the issue, former senator and now Mamamayang Liberal party-list Representative Leila de Lima called on Harry Roque to return to the Philippines and face the accusations against him. She stressed that, as a lawyer, he knows that “flight is indicative of guilt”.