THE NETHERLANDS – Itinanggi ni dating presidential spokesperson Harry Roque ang mga alegasyon na pinakialaman niya ang kasong crimes against humanity ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa International Criminal Court (ICC).
Gayunpaman, inamin ni Roque na nag-alok siya ng “additional legal remedy” sa labas ng ICC na ipinagpaalam niya sa pamilya Duterte.
“I cannot be blamed for devising remedies to bring former President Duterte home alive. No such idea can be characterized as a crazy scheme,” saad ni Roque.
“In fact, the Vice President acknowledged that we have discussed the domestic legal remedy on numerous occasions and I have deferred to VP’s decision to hold the domestic legal remedy in abeyance pending the outcome of the interim release,” dagdag niya.
Ito ay matapos na ang legal counsel ni Duterte na si Atty. Nicholas Kaufman, ay sinabing nalaman niya na nilapitan ni Roque ang isang Dutch lawyer na may inisyatiba na idemanda ang Dutch government para sa rendition ni Duterte.
“With this plan, he could very well have jeopardized the Defence’s efforts to release the former President. I have made it known that I would find it hard to forgive him for that and I refuse to entertain his ramblings,” ayon sa isang post ni Kaufman.
Si Duterte ay nasa kustodiya ng ICC para harapin ang mga kaso sa drug war ng kanyang administrasyon.
Aniya, siya lamang ang tanging taong may kakayahang ipagtanggol ang dating pangulo.
Ngunit, ipinaalam ni Duterte na dapat na umanong huminto si Roque sa kaso at bumalik na sa Pilipinas.
Sinabi naman ni Roque na isa siyang “loyal foot soldier of the Dutertes” na nagnanais na makabalik si Duterte sa bansa.
“Ad hominem attacks and other forms of character assassination have no place in the legal profession and in any decent society, especially if these are directed against individuals who have not – as I said earlier – interfered in the case,” ayon sa kaniya.
“I thus call on Atty. Nicholas Kaufman to put an end to this blame game and simply channel his time and energy to bring the former President home alive to make the Filipinos the happiest persons on earth,” dagdag pa niya.
Nahaharap si Roque sa kasong qualified human trafficking kaugnay ng Lucky South 99 POGO firm sa Angeles, Pampanga Regional Trial Court (RTC). RNT/MND
