AFP mulls filing disbarment case vs Laude family lawyer Harry Roque

Lawyer Harry Roque: A threat to my security. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it was “strongly considering” filing a complaint for the disbarment of lawyer Harry Roque, legal counsel of the family of slain transgender Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude.

“The [AFP Chief of Staff] is strongly considering the filing of a formal complaint against him before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, if warranted.  The bases for this complaint are his inappropriate actions inside camp premises during the intrusion incident on October 22,” AFP Public Affairs Office Chief Lieutenant Colonel Harold Cabunoc said on Wednesday night.

Cabunoc said Roque, being “a brilliant lawyer,” should be “an epitome of discipline and respect for law and order.”

“We don’t want him to misbehave inside military camps and subject our soldiers to his tirades again,” he added.

The slain transgender’s sister Marilou and fiance, Marc Sueselbeck, entered a restricted area at Camp Aguinaldo in an attempt to get a glimpse of US Marine Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, the suspected killer of Laude.

Sueselbeck also shoved a soldier who was preventing him from getting near an air-conditioned cargo container where Pemberton was detained.

Cabunoc said that while the Armed Forces of the Philippines has filed a motion seeking to declare Sueselbeck an undesirable alien to bar his reentry into the country, it decided Wednesday evening not to pursue a criminal case against the German so that he can be allowed to leave the Philippines.

Roque, in his Twitter account, said he was looking forward to responding to the AFP’s complaint.

“I look forward to answering the complaint of AFP before the IBP. They will hopefully stop their tirades which I consider as a threat to my security,” he said.