The leaders of the House of Representatives quad-committee on Friday issued a stern warning to former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, saying that any future "contemptible" acts, like lying on his part will lead to significantly harsher penalties.
This warning follows the committee's unanimous decision to cite Roque for contempt and impose a 24-hour detention for lying about his reason for missing the August 16 hearing of the joint panel in Bacolor, Pampanga.
In a Zoom interview with reporters, Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the designated overall chair of the quad-committee, made it clear that the panel is ready to take stronger action if Roque commits another contemptible act.
“Yes, ‘yan ang patutunguhan kapag may bagong contemptible act si Harry Roque, and we will have to ask members of the quad comm, including the co-chairs, kung ano ang desisyon diyan. We will decide when that happens,” Barbers said when asked about the possibility of stiffer penalties.
Roque had informed Barbers in a letter that he could not attend the August 16 hearing due to a scheduled appearance at the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC).
However, a certification from the RTC’s Clerk of Court confirmed that Roque had no scheduled hearings on that date. The certification indicated that Roque’s court appearance was actually held on August 15, contradicting his excuse.
Barbers, who also chairs the Committee on Dangerous Drugs, clarified that the quad-committee did not believe Roque’s claim of an "honest mistake" regarding the scheduling of the hearing.
“Base sa appreciation namin sa kanyang paliwanag at sulat, kami ay hindi naniniwala sa kanyang sinabi na honest mistake ‘yun, kaya nga nagkaroon kami sa punto na pagbotohan. Unanimously, ang desisyon ay hindi naniniwala,” Barbers explained.
“Alam na alam ni Atty. Roque na ang schedule ng hearing ay August 16, at ‘yan ay pinatunayan ng kanyang sulat sa komite, na inamin niya na hindi siya pupwede sa August 16 dahil siya ay may hearing na gagawin,” he added.
Barbers emphasized the importance of fairness and consistency in the committee’s actions.
“Ganoon ba kadaling magdahilan sa komite at dapat bang pagbigyan ng komite ang ganoong pagrarason? Marami po tayong na-contempt na hindi lamang nagsinungaling kundi nag-violate ng rule,” Barbers noted.
He continued, “Kung tayo ay hindi naging patas sa pagpataw ng penalty sa nagkaroon ng violation sa ating komite, ang ating komite ay hindi paniniwalaan. Kaya kami po ay nanindigan. We stood up, we were firm and we were consistent with our decision to cite him in contempt.”
Sta. Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, another leader of the quad-committee, expressed disappointment that Roque, a former colleague, did not make more effort to communicate.
“Binigyan natin siya (Roque) ng pagkakataon. Sabi ko nga sa kanya, we had a lot of friends sa Kongreso. We are just a phone away. Ano ba naman iyong one of us, kasamahan namin siya sa Kongreso, ano ba naman ‘yung tinawagan kami at sinabi niya ang kanyang excuse, and we will accept,” Fernandez said.
“Kung hindi ka gagawa ng paraan to relay your excuses, then our perception ng members ay binabalewala mo ang hearing,” Fernandez pointed out. “That will be [unfair] to others, kasi ‘yung ibang resource persons na hindi uma-attend, they’re trying their best to make excuses and letters saying hindi sila available at the time.”
Fernandez, who chairs the Committee on Public Order and Safety, also issued a broader warning to future resource persons. “May this be a warning to all resource persons we invite—don’t make false excuses because we mean business, because national security is at stake. We hope that everybody we will invite as resource persons will be cooperating.”
Roque is a central figure in the controversy involving Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), which is under investigation by the quad-committee, composed of the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights and Public Accounts.
The joint panel is probing the connections between illegal POGOs, the proliferation of the illegal drug trade, illegal land acquisitions by Chinese nationals, and the extrajudicial killings associated with former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.
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