Harry Roque still a congressman–House leader

As far as the House of Representatives is concerned, Harry Roque of the Kabayan party-list group is still a congressman.

Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas on Wednesday said the former University of the Philippine law professor would remain on the roster of House members while the leadership heard both sides of the story.

“There’s a procedure. One is saying he [Roque] has been ousted. But the Speaker has not received any papers. Where are their papers? One says it’s the Comelec (Commission on Elections) that should decide,” he said.

“Anything goes. We will study well and hear both parties,” Fariñas told reporters.

Roque was unseated by Kabayan as its representative in Congress over his “severely damaging” statements, including a call on the Senate to oust Sen. Leila De Lima in November.

READ: Harry Roque kicked out from House by own partylist

In a Jan. 12 resolution released to the media on Tuesday, the group’s Board of Trustees said it ordered Roque’s removal as a member of the party, and consequently, as its representative in the House of Representatives.

But Roque contested the decision of the board, saying he filed a petition to compel his party to hold a congress to resolve the issue on “rightful leadership.” His petition also sought the annulment of the “illegal resolution” issued by the board for being null and void.

Fariñas said he was pained by the feud between Roque and his fellow Kabayan representative Ron Salo, who had lodged the complaint against his colleague.

Both Roque and Salo are members of the powerful rules committee. Salo is with the majority while Roque is in the minority bloc. Earlier this month, Roque sought Salo’s expulsion from the House for his “illegal schemes and machinations.”

“I will ask both of them to go on leave first from the committee on rules. I apologize to the body. Two members are the ones fighting on the floor when we are the ones who should maintain order in the plenary,” Fariñas said.

In its resolution, the Kabayan board said there was an “overwhelming call” on the part of its members to unseat Roque for his words and actions during the Nov. 24 inquiry held by the House justice committee on the proliferation of drugs in the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City.

In that hearing, the lawmaker had urged the Senate to remove De Lima if she refused to resign over allegations she had tried to prevent her former driver Ronnie Dayan from testifying in a House inquiry.

Kabayan, short for Kabalikat ng Mamamayan, is a group representing marginalized sectors, including farmers, senior citizens, disabled, migrant workers, and the poor. CDG