By Rodolfo Dacleson II
(May 19, 2025) – Representative-elect Leila de Lima on Monday urged former presidential spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque to return to the Philippines and face the allegations against him.
Earlier today, she was proclaimed by the Commission on Elections after her Mamamayang Liberal Party-list won a seat in the House of Representatives. It ranked 14th in the party-list race with 547,949 votes or 1.31% of the total votes.
“Ang pinakamensahe ko lang sa kanya (Roque), bumalik na siya rito. Harapin niya ‘yung mga akusasyon laban sa kanya. Huwag siya dapat nagtatago sa ibang bansa o you know under the application for asylum,” said De Lima in a media conference.
Most recently, a Regional Trial Court in Angeles City, Pampanga issued an arrest warrant for Roque, Whirlwind Corp. incorporator Cassandra Ong, and 48 other individuals.
It stemmed from their alleged involvement in the violation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act in connection with the raided Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO), which Lucky South 99 Corp. ran in Porac, Pampanga last June.
“May warrant of arrest na at alam naman niya yan bilang isang abogado na there is such a principle or a dictum in law that flight is indicative of guilt so dapat harapin niya,” said De Lima.
Roque has slammed the court decision in a statement on Facebook, claiming it was an “unjust prosecution” by the administration of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. because he is an ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
De Lima once told Roque to turn himself in to the authorities after the quad committee of the House of Representatives issued an arrest warrant last September for refusing to submit his Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth from 2016 until 2022.
ALSO READ: De Lima turns tables on Roque after past insult, urges him to face POGO allegations
He was being investigated at that time for his unexplained wealth tied with POGO.
Roque, however, remained in hiding since then before he showed up publicly last March when former president Rodrigo Duterte was flown to The Hague, Netherlands to face his crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court due to his war on drugs.
The former human rights lawyer received backlash after announcing that he is seeking asylum to allegedly evade arrest. He even expressed his desire to be part of Duterte’s legal counsel but wasn’t included.
ALSO READ: ‘Mockery of justice’: Roque lambasted for seeking asylum in Netherlands amid arrest order
To recall, in a press briefing last February 2018, he wished De Lima a lifetime in jail while being detained at Camp Crame over drug charges. The former senator was eventually acquitted in all three cases.
(With reports from Camille Samonte, News5)
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