Arrest order vs Harry Roque is ‘prosecution not persecution’ – DOJ

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in The Hague, with Sen. Robin Padilla (partially out of frame). —Photo by Jofelle Tesorio | The Filipino Correspondent Network -Netherlands

MANILA, Philippines — The arrest warrant against former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque is an example of “prosecution, not persecution,” the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Friday.

DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano made the pronouncement after Roque said that the arrest warrant against him, for his alleged involvement in the operations of a Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) in Pampanga, was “unjust persecution.”

READ: Pampanga court issues arrest warrant vs Cassie Ong, Harry Roque, others

Clavano, however, said there is a legitimate case against Roque, as evident from the recordings of the congressional hearings.

He also said that the DOJ does not file cases lightly, reminding Roque that a panel of prosecutors analyzed the evidence.

“I don’t see where the persecution is here. This is an example of prosecuting a person involved in a crime,” Clavano said.

“So we should look at this as an opportunity, as a venue, as a channel where he can explain his side, submit his evidence, present his defenses, and let the court decide whether a person is guilty or innocent,” the DOJ official added.

An arrest warrant was issued against Roque and several other accused for violating Section 4(1), in relation to Section 6(c) of Republic Act No. 9208, also known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.

The order was based on a qualified human trafficking complaint filed by the Department of Justice against Roque and several others for their alleged involvement in the operations of Pogo hub Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga.

The DOJ said Roque’s participation was not just limited to being a lawyer for Whirlwind Corporation, the company that leased land to Lucky South 99, but was also the representative of the Pogo./mcm