Malacañang on Friday urged former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque to refrain from using his asylum petition as a means to sidestep the legal processes related to the human trafficking allegations against him.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Roque should come home and face charges that he and 10 others allegedly engaged in human trafficking in connection with a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced earlier that it may seek the assistance of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to serve the warrant of arrest issued by the Angeles City Regional Trial Court Branch 118 to Roque.
“Hindi po siya (Roque) dapat magtago sa kanyang petition for asylum,” Castro said during Friday’s press briefing.
Castro denied that Roque is being politically persecuted.
“Iyan po naman talaga ang kaniyang magiging naratibo, kaniyang depensa pero hindi po niya sinasagot nang mabuti kung nasaan nga ba iyong mga dokumentong kaniyang ipinangako sa House of Representatives at that time na nagkaroon po hearing sa QuadCom,” she said.
“Hindi po niya natutugunan iyon at kung anuman iyong mga sinasabing diumano hidden wealth niya ay hindi pa rin niya po natutugunan. So paano po kaya magkakaroon ng 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 also said.
Roque left the Philippines in September last year and later resurfaced in the Netherlands, where he said he filed a petition seeking political asylum.
Roque fled after four committees of the House of Representatives investigating POGOs cited him in contempt for lying and failing to attend the public hearings. | PND
