Roque still hopes to be part of Duterte’s defense team Bella

MANILA, Philippines — Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque is still trying to get an audience with detained former president Rodrigo Duterte amid his quest to be part of Duterte’s defense team in the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“I’m still hoping to see the (former) president as it is he who will approve his legal counsels,” he said.

Vice President Sara Duterte earlier said Roque will not be part of her father’s legal team, citing Roque’s petition for asylum in The Hague.

Roque is facing an arrest warrant for contempt from the House of Representatives. He left the Philippines in September last year.

Roque said he has a pending case with Duterte’s lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman to visit the former president in his detention cell.

“I cannot visit (Duterte) as potential counsel without the consent of Kaufman,” he said.

Roque is confident that the request for Duterte’s interim release will be granted by the ICC.

Duterte is being held at the Scheveningen penitentiary for alleged crimes against humanity stemming from his bloody war on drugs.

The ICC has no jurisdiction over Duterte as the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in March 2019, Roque insisted.

“It was already the second year (after withdrawal from the ICC) when (the Philippine government) asked permission for preliminary investigation,” he said.

Per Article 127 of the Rome Statute, withdrawal of member states shall not prejudice matters already under consideration by the ICC.

“As the alleged conduct has taken place between 1 Nov. 2011 and 16 March 2019 on the territory of the Philippines, it falls within the Court’s jurisdiction,” the ICC has said.

Roque vs Barbers

House quad committee members are buffoons, Roque said, as he vowed to file libel charges against the panel’s co-chair, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.

Facing an arrest order for contempt of the House, Roque is accused of human trafficking over his alleged links to Lucky South 99, a raided Philippine offshore gaming operator.

“Just like what Tatay Digong said, there is a time for everything. Ace Barbers, you are not forever immune against libel. Once your term ends, for sure, the term of your family in Surigao will end. I will penalize you and I promise that I will not move back,” he said.

Roque said he will submit as evidence hearings of the quad comm to justify his petition for asylum in the Netherlands.

As prerequisites for the petition, Roque said he surrendered his passport and driver’s license. He said he had finished his first interview.

“I was asked if I need housing accommodation and I said no. They have asked for the name of the family that I will stay with and I gave all the details,” he noted.

Once his petition for asylum is approved, Roque said he plans to practice his profession as an international human rights lawyer.

“Yes, that (international human rights lawyer) could be a possible employment that I could find here,” Roque said.

In 2021, Roque failed to secure a seat in the International Law Commission, receiving the least number of votes.