Proper procedures will be followed to arrest Roque, says Remulla

MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla clarified on Monday that “proper methods” would be carried out to arrest former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque over human trafficking charges.

“When I say ‘personally arrest,’ I did not mean I would arrest him myself. I don’t have the authority,” Remulla said in Filipino in a press briefing in Camp Crame.

“We will coordinate with the necessary authorities para gawin yan (to do that)… Procedures will be done, and all proper methods will be done if the arrest is warranted already,” he added.

READ: Roque: Remulla has no authority to make arrests in PH or Austria

Roque is a former spokesperson for then-President Rodrigo Duterte.

Roque is wanted by the Angeles City Regional Trial Court over human trafficking charges in connection with a Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) in Porac, Pampanga.

He flew to the Netherlands to seek asylum, citing political persecution.

Dutch authorities, however, advised Roque to first seek asylum in Austria, which supposedly issued his Schengen visa, citing the European Union’s Dublin procedure.

Roque is now believed to be in Austria.

Remulla noted that Roque’s passport had been cancelled by the Department of Foreign Affairs last November and that an International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) red notice has yet to be issued against him.

An Interpol red notice aims to “seek the location and arrest of persons wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence.”

“Si Harry at ako, we have a very close relationship, pero hindi para isaklaw ko naman ng kapangyarihan ko, ang aking responsibilidad bilang secretary dahil sa aming pagkakaibigan,” Remulla noted.

(Harry and I, we have a very close relationship, but our friendship is not included in my powers, in my responsibility as a secretary.) /gsg /atm