De Lima dares Harry Roque to surrender: Ako nga hinarap ko eh

Former senator Leila De Lima talks to reporters outside the Muntinlupa City Hall of Justice in Muntinlupa City in this June 24, 2024 file photo after the court cleared her of the third and last charge of conspiracy to commit drug trading. INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — Former Sen. Leila De Lima on Saturday urged former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque to surrender to authorities amid the House arrest order against him.

De Lima made the remark as she filed at Manila Hotel Tent City the certificate of nomination and acceptance (Cona) of Mamamayang Liberal party-list, of which she is the first nominee of.

“Of course, he must. He is a lawyer. He is a man of law. He is supposed to be a lawyer,” De Lima said of Roque in an interview after her filing of Cona.

“Ako nga hinarap ko eh, kahit gawa-gawang mga kaso eh. Hinarap ko ang batas,” she also said.

(Well, I faced it, despite them being fabricated charges. I faced the law.)

De Lima even said she went through the entire process despite it being “so painful and tedious” for her part.

“So dapat ganoon. Kung wala yang kasalanan, wala kang itinatago, harapin mo nang buong tapang. Hindi yung nagtatapang-tapangan lang sya … nagla-livefeed na lang siya, ini-insulto niya pa ang ating mga law enforcers,” she also said, referring to Roque’s regular Facebook live streams.

(So it should be that way. If you are innocent and you are not hiding anything, face it bravely, and not just feign bravery. He is only doing live feeds to insult the law enforcers.)

De Lima, who was charged and arrested in 2017, had always maintained her innocence, claiming that the charges were baseless and in retaliation to the investigation she conducted in the Senate on former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody drug war.

She was detained for six years, eight months, and 21 days before being acquitted last June.

Roque once told De Lima: “May you spend the rest of your life in jail.”

READ: Roque wishes De Lima a lifetime in jail

However, this time, the House quad committee held Roque in contempt and was ordered detained in the House for the second time.

READ: Harry Roque ordered detained anew; calls House panel a ‘kangaroo court’

“Alam niyo naman kung ano yung mga pinagsasasabi niya sa akin (All of you knows all of the things he said to me) and look at him now, he’s on the run, instead of facing the rule of law,” De Lima said.

“Siguro naman na-realize na niya kung gaano kamali ang mga nasabi niya tungkol sa akin…Marunong talaga ang Diyos,” she also said.

(Perhaps he now realizes how wrong his words are against me. God is indeed wise.)

This second contempt stemmed from Roque’s continued noncompliance with the lower chamber’s subpoena, ordering Roque to submit his statement of assets and liability and net worth from 2016-2022, his and his wife Maila’s income tax returns from 2014-2022 and their respective medical certificates, the extrajudicial settlement of the estate including tax returns of his late aunt, and the deed of sale with tax returns and transfer of property of the 1.8-hectare property at Multinational Village, Parañaque that his family sold.

Once arrested, Roque would be detained until he submits the documents or until the quad committee is dissolved.

It can be recalled that Roque was also ordered detained last month, but only for 24 hours, for allegedly lying to the same committee as to why he failed to attend the first hearing in Pampanga last week.

The former lawmaker is linked to Lucky South 99, the raided Philippine offshore gaming operators hub in Porac, Pampanga, after documents with his signature were found by operatives, but Roque has repeatedly denied having any links with the Pogo hub.

Roque also requested before the Supreme Court for protection against the contempt order and arrest warrant issued against him by House lawmakers, but it was denied.