Roque denies meddling in Duterte ICC case

MANILA, Philippines — Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque has denied interfering in the crimes against humanity case faced by former president Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“My support for the Duterte legal defense continues. There is no truth that I have interfered in the case or I have given statements that might affect the defense legal strategy in the ICC,” Roque posted on Facebook.

Duterte is detained in The Hague, Netherlands for alleged crimes against humanity over his bloody drug war that claimed more than 6,000 lives.

Nicholas Kaufman, head of Duterte’s defense team, earlier said that the former president wanted Roque to stop interfering in the case before the ICC.

“The former president has made it known that Roque should stop interfering in his case and return to the Philippines to sort out his own troubling legal issues,” Kaufman said.

Roque reportedly plans to sue the Dutch government, which Kaufman said was a “crazy scheme.”

Roque is evading local authorities and has been seeking asylum after being charged with human trafficking over his involvement in a Philippine offshore gaming operator.

“A Dutch lawyer has confirmed that Harry Roque approached him with an initiative to sue the Dutch government for facilitating the rendition of the former president. In my opinion, this was a crazy scheme because the release of the former president would require the cooperation of the Dutch government, something unlikely to be forthcoming if they are being sued by the person concerned,” he noted.

The Dutch lawyer severed contact with Roque after discovering that he is a fugitive, Kaufman said.

“Roque is persistent to the point of obsessiveness and with this plan, he could have jeopardized the defense’s efforts to release the former president. I have made it known that I would find it hard to forgive him for that and I refuse to entertain his ramblings,” Kaufman added.

“As it is, neither the former president, nor anyone else in his immediate vicinity, is interested in Harry Roque as a lawyer,” Kaufman stressed.

Kaufman served Imelda

Kaufman said Duterte is aware that he had served as counsel to former first lady Imelda Marcos.

“The former president is fully aware of my former clients and also knows that my meeting with Imelda Marcos took place more than 13 years ago over a Chinese meal in Manila. This was before the Duterte family was recognized as a political force to be reckoned with in the Philippines,” Kaufman said.

Reports showed Kaufman had represented Marcos and other personalities, including the Gaddafi children and Democratic Republic of Congo leader Jean-Pierre Bemba, who also faced war crimes.

Kaufman rebuked claims that Duterte is not being informed about his case, that his lawyers are not visiting him, and the defense team is supposedly stalling ICC pre-trial judges who had earlier deferred ruling on Duterte’s request for interim release.

Honeylet worried

Meanwhile, Duterte’s common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña has complained of being unable to visit the former president in his detention cell for a week, according to Roque.

“(She is worried) because this is the longest since Tatay Digong was detained where no family member was able to visit him,” Roque said.

The ICC has allowed a four-day weekly visit for the Dutertes, he noted.

Avanceña has asked Duterte’s counsel for an explanation, Roque said.