DOJ to exhaust all remedies to bring Harry Roque home to face charges

Screengrab video from Harry Roque Facebook page

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday said it would exhaust all legal remedies to have former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque return to the country to face charges.

DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano made the pronouncement after an arrest warrant was issued against Roque and several others for his alleged involvement in a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator in Pampanga.

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

“We all know that he’s not in the country. Again, we will have to go through diplomatic channels—and there are many diplomatic channels available to us,” Clavano said in Filipino in a chance interview with reporters.

“So if there is truly an accused person who is outside the country, we will exhaust all our remedies to bring him back here,” he added.

One of these remedies, said Clavano, is seeking assistance from the International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol.

Clavano also mentioned that the DOJ is planning to write to the government of the Netherlands to clarify that the charges filed against Roque are intended to prosecute, not persecute him.

“We will explain that this is an example of prosecution, not persecution,” the DOJ official said.

Same goes for Cassandra Ong

Clavano also said that the same efforts will be applied against Roque’s co-accused, Cassandra Ong. He said a hold departure order may be issued against Ong to prohibit her from leaving the country.

“That is a remedy available to the prosecution to ask a court for a hold departure order,” he said.

“It is possible that the court will issue a hold departure order upon the request of the prosecution,” he added.

Should Ong already be outside the country, Clavano said the government would also exhaust all possible remedies to bring her back to Philippine jurisdiction./mcm