Former presidential spokesperson lawyer Harry Roque denies he owns the house in an exclusive subdivision in Tuba, Benguet which was raided by law authorities over the weekend. (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines — There is no active request from the House of Representatives to cancel former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s passport, according to House Secretary General Reginald Velasco.
In an ambush interview at the Senate on Tuesday, Velasco stated that the lower chamber has no jurisdiction over consular matters when asked about the issue.
“It’s really the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). But according to the DFA, it has to have a court order before they cancel the passport of Mr. Harry Roque,” said Velasco.
READ: Harry Roque likely left PH using same route as Alice Guo – BI
He was further asked if the House has an outstanding request for the cancellation of the former presidential spokesperson’s passport, but he said there’s none yet.
“Not yet. Because, you know, we have to go through the process. I think cases have been filed with the DOJ, and those are still pending. He is included in the charges filed against former Mayor Guo,” Velasco explained.
“Once it’s filed in the court, that’s the time the court can issue an order concerning the passport or the immigration status of Harry Roque. So right now we’re waiting for that,” he added.
Roque is in the Netherlands at present where he is acting as a member of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s legal team for the latter’s crimes against humanity case before the International Criminal Court.
READ: House quad comm to summon DFA, BI over Harry Roque’s travel history
The former presidential spokesperson is implicated in the qualified human trafficking case against Cassandra Li Ong and several others concerning the alleged illegal activities of the Pogo hub Lucky South 99 Corp.
He has an outstanding arrest order from the House of Representatives after being cited for contempt and ordered detained due to his failure to submit documents that would justify the alleged sudden increase in his wealth.