Lawyer of Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte Speaks on Harry Roque
RODRIGO DUTERTE – The lawyer of the former President for his case before the International Criminal Court claimed that FPRRD does not want to see nor be assisted by Harry Roque in his ICC case.
Former Pres. Duterte remains detained under the custody of the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands since March. His lawyers previously submitted the application for his ICC interim release to an undisclosed country.
However, the lawyers of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte have also asked the ICC to pause in the decision-making for his ICC interim release bid. According to British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, the lead counsel of the former President, they still await some documents and information that would back the interim release plea.
The ICC legal team of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is composed of all foreign lawyers. Duterte’s former spokesman Harry Roque is not part of the legal team of the former Chief Executive despite his persistent offers to defend his former boss.
Harry Roque has a pending arrest warrant issued by a court in the Philippines over his alleged involvement in the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming operations in the country. However, even the Department of Justice or DOJ admitted that the arrest warrant against Harry Roque cannot be directly served as he is an asylum seeker in The Netherlands.
Duterte’s former Spokesman previously said that he cannot be deported while his application for asylum in The Netherlands is ongoing. According to him, it may take one year and a half.
Recently, surprisingly, lawyer Nicholas Kaufman spoke against Harry Roque. Based on a post on GMA News, the ICC lawyer of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte claimed that “the former President has expressed no desire to see Harry Roque nor to be assisted by him”.
Kaufman also stressed that Roque is a “fugitive from justice” in the Philippines. Based on the post, according to him, Duterte thinks that it is best if Roque will stop meddling in his ICC case. The confirmation of charges of the former President is set on September 23.
Since his custody was transferred to the ICC, the family members of Duterte are taking turns in visiting him inside the detention facility. Former presidential spox Harry Roque is also usually spotted with the Filipinos outside the ICC detention facility in The Hague.
Recently, Harry Roque denied meddling in the ICC case of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte.