Solons warn Roque: Stiffer sanctions await for any new contemptible act

Former presidential spokesperson lawyer Harry Roque. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines — Two lawmakers from the House of Representatives’ quad-committee said former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque may face “stiffer penalties” if he commits another  “contemptible act” in the future like lying before the chamber.

This warning follows the committee’s unanimous decision to cite Roque for contempt and impose a 24-hour detention for lying about his reason for missing the August 16 hearing of the joint panel in Porac, Pampanga.

“Yes, ‘yan ang patutunguhan kapag may bagong contemptible act si Harry Roque, and we will have to ask members of the quad comm, including the co-chairs, kung ano ang desisyon diyan. We will decide when that happens,” said Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Ace Barbers in a virtual presser on Friday when he was asked if the panel would take stronger action against Roque should he lie once more.

(Yes, that would happen if Roque has a new contemptible act, and we will have to ask members of the quad comm, including the co-chairs, what is the decision on that. We will decide when that happens.)

Barbers admitted to not believing Roque’s claim that his inability to attend the said hearing, despite due notice, was only because of an “honest mistake.”

“Base sa appreciation namin sa kanyang paliwanag at sulat, kami ay hindi naniniwala sa kanyang sinabi na honest mistake ‘yun, kaya nga nagkaroon kami sa punto na pag botohan. Unanimously, ang desisyon ay hindi naniniwala,” Barbers explained.

(Based on our appreciation of his explanation and letter, we do not believe what he said was an honest mistake, that’s why we had the point of voting. Unanimously, the decision was to not believe Roque.)

Noting the need to maintain fairness and consistency in the committee’s actions, Barbers said the panel would no longer be believed if its stance on issues like this would not be firm.

Sta. Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, another leader of the quad-committee, said Roque  — a “former colleague” — could have informed the panel and communicated his concern.

“Binigyan natin siya ng pagkakataon. Sabi ko nga sa kanya, we had a lot of friends sa Kongreso. We are just a phone away. Ano ba naman iyong one of us, kasamahan namin siya sa Kongreso, ano ba naman ‘yung tinawagan kami at sinabi niya ang kanyang excuse, and we will accept,” Fernandez said.

(We gave him  a chance. I told him, we had a lot of friends in Congress. We are just a phone away. What about that one of us, he is our colleague in Congress, he could have called and told us his excuse and we will accept.)

READ: Harry Roque cited for contempt after lying about absence in House probe

“May this be a warning to all resource persons we invite—don’t make false excuses because we mean business, because national security is at stake. We hope that everybody we will invite as resource persons will be cooperating,” he emphasized.

Roque is a central figure in the controversy involving Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, which is under investigation by the quad-committee.