Palace slams Harry Roque over claims of political persecution

Malacañang on Friday called out former presidential spokesman Harry Roque for claiming that he is being politically persecuted by the Marcos administration after a local court issued an arrest warrant against him.

Palace Press Officer Atty. Claire Castro underscored in a briefing that the warrant of arrest against Roque was valid. She hit back at Roque for failing to present documents that would supposedly explain his increased wealth during last year's congressional hearing.

"'Yan po naman talaga ang kanyang magiging naratibo, kanyang depensa, pero hindi po niya sinasagot nang mabuti kung nasaan po 'yung mga dokumentong kanyang ipinangako sa House of Representatives at the time na nagkaroon po ng hearing sa Quad Comm. Hindi po niya natutugunan 'yun at kung ano man 'yung mga sinasabing di umano hidden wealth niya ay hindi pa rin po niya natutugunan, so paano po kayang magkakaroon ng political persecution?" Castro said.

(That's really his narrative and defense but he's not properly answering the queries on the documents that he promised to the House of Representatives at the time of the Quad Comm hearing. He failed to respond to allegations of hidden wealth, so how can there be political persecution?)

"At tandaan po natin, korte mismo ang nag-issue ng valid warrant of arrest patungkol po sa kaso ng qualified human trafficking," Castro added.

(Let's remember that the court issued a valid warrant of arrest in relation to the qualified human trafficking case.)

GMA News Online has reached out to Roque for comment on Castro's latest remarks.

In a statement late Thursday afternoon, Roque said the issuance of the arrest warrant forms part of the "unjust prosecution," which he intends to note in his asylum application in the Netherlands.

"I am a victim of political persecution by the Marcos government because I am an ally of the Dutertes," Roque said.

He added, "I reiterate: this is not flight as evidence of guilt but the exercise of a human right to asylum."

The former presidential spokesperson said he would pursue all available legal remedies to secure his "life and liberty" as these were supposedly under threat.

Warrants of arrest have been issued against Roque, Cassandra Ong and 48 others for qualified human trafficking in relation to the alleged scam hub run by Lucky South 99, the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Porac, Pampanga.

The warrants were issued by the Angeles, Pampanga Regional Trial Court-Branch 118 on Thursday.

According to the warrant, they were handling 11 separate Informations for Violation of the Republic Act 9208 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012.

The former spokesperson has since denied the accusation and said he is not and never has been a legal counsel of any illegal POGO, and was not a counsel of Lucky South 99. He also said that he only accompanied Ong in a meeting as he thought that she was a victim of estafa.

Before he resurfaced in The Hague following the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Roque was reported to have flown out of the Philippines after congressional hearings looked into his alleged involvement in Lucky South 99.

Roque was cited in contempt and ordered detained by the House Quad Comm on September 13 after he refused to submit documents that would supposedly explain his increased wealth.

Seeking asylum

In the same briefing, Castro also dismissed the Roque's claim that he could not be brought back to the Philippines since he is seeking asylum.

According to the Palace official, Roque should prove first that he is being ''harassed'' by the government, therefore he should not be brought back to the country. 

''Kung wala po siyang mapapakitang harassment mula sa gobyerno at mapapatunayan na ang mga kasong ito ay legal na nasampa at may mga basehan para siya ay maisyuhan ng warrant of arrest, hindi po tayo maniniwala na hindi siya maaaring dalhin sa Pilipinas,'' she explained.

(If he can't prove the harassment from the government and the cases against him will be proven to be legally filed and with basis, then we won't believe his claim that he cannot be brought back to the Philippines.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News