Harry Roque denies interfering in Duterte’s ICC case

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has denied allegations that he interfered in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity case before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Roque, however, admitted that he offered an “additional legal remedy” outside the ICC that was subject to the approval of the Duterte family.  

“I cannot be blamed for devising remedies to bring former President Duterte home alive. No such idea can be characterized as a crazy scheme,” Roque said in a statement.

“In fact, the Vice President acknowledged that we have discussed the domestic legal remedy on numerous occasions and I have deferred to VP’s decision to hold the domestic legal remedy in abeyance pending the outcome of the interim release,” he added.

This came after Duterte’s legal counsel, Atty. Nicholas Kaufman, said he was informed that  Roque approached a Dutch lawyer with an initiative to sue the Dutch government for Duterte’s rendition, based on an interview posted on Alvin and Tourism Facebook Page. 

Kaufman dubbed the scheme as “crazy." 

“With this plan, he could very well have jeopardized the Defence’s efforts to release the former President. I have made it known that I would find it hard to forgive him for that and I refuse to entertain his ramblings,” Kaufman was quoted as saying in a post.

Duterte is under custody of the ICC to face charges over his administration's drug war.

He said that Roque has been portraying himself as the only person capable of defending the former president. He added that Duterte has made it known that Roque should supposedly stop in the case and return to the Philippines. 

Roque, for his part, said he is a “loyal foot soldier of the Dutertes” that wished to see Duterte return to the country.

“Ad hominem attacks and other forms of character assassination have no place in the legal profession and in any decent society, especially if these are directed against individuals who have not – as I said earlier – interfered in the case,” he said.

“I thus call on Atty. Nicholas Kaufman to put an end to this blame game and simply channel his time and energy to bring the former President home alive to make the Filipinos the happiest persons on earth,” he added.

Roque is facing charges for qualified human trafficking in connection to the Lucky South 99 POGO firm before the Angeles, Pampanga Regional Trial Court (RTC). —AOL, GMA Integrated News