MANILA, Philippines – Kinastigo ng Kamara si presidential spokesperson Harry Roque dahil sa pagsisinungaling sa quad-committee kaugnay sa dahilan ng kanyang pagliban sa unang pagdinig.
Sa quad-committee hearing nitong Huwebes, Agosto 22, ipinakita ni Kabayan party-list Rep. Ron Salo ang sertipikasyon mula sa Manila Regional Trial Court Clerk ni Court Atty. Jennifer dela Cruz-Buendia na nagsasabing si Roque, isang abogado, at walang court hearing noong Agosto 16.
Isinagawa ng quad-committee ang unang pagdinig nito noong Agosto 16 sa Bacolor, Pampanga, ngunit sinabi ni Roque na hindi siya dadalo sa diskusyon dahil mayroon siyang hearing sa korte sa Manila.
“Atty. Harry Roque sent a letter dated Aug. 13, 2024 addressed to the honorable chairman Robert Ace Barbers…informing Chair Barbers that he will not be able to participate to the said meeting due to a conflict with a previously scheduled court hearing before the Regional Trial Court on 16 August 2024 — the same date of our quad-committee hearing,” ani Salo.
“Mr. Chair, we are also in receipt here of a copy of a certification…stating that Atty. Harry Roque has no hearing on August 16, and did not appear in the Court of Manila. Mr. Chair, I hate to say it but clearly Atty. Harry Roque, our former secretary and my former law professor lied to this committee, and that amounts to disrespect to the members of the committee, which is contemptable,” dagdag niya.
Matapos na gawin ni Salo ang mosyon, sinuspinde ang pagdinig ng ilang beses ni Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chair ng House committee on dangerous drugs, na umupo sa
quad-committee hearing.
Sinuspinde ang pagdinig upang pag-usapan ng mga mambabatas kung ano ang gagawin kay Roque lalo pa’t may iba’t ibang opinyon ang mga mambabatas sa mosyon ni Salo.
Matapos ang break, inamin ni Roque na nakagawa siya ng isang “honest mistake” sa pag-iisip na ang unang quad-committee hearing ay gaganapin sa Huwebes, dahil karaniwang hindi gumagawa ng mga pagdinig ang Kamara tuwing Biyernes.
Ayon kay Roque, alam niya ito dahil siya mismo ay dating miyembro ng Kamara.
Aniya, ang pagdinig niya sa Manila court ay itinakda Agosto 15.
“It was an honest mistake your Honor. I have also been a member of this chamber, we don’t hold hearings on Fridays. So when I saw the notice of hearing, I assumed that just like the first and second hearing where I attended, that it will be on a Thursday. And that is true that I had a hearing both in the morning and in the afternoon, and that is why I sent that letter,” pahayag ni Roque.
“That was an honest mistake. Had I had any intentions not to appear, I would have not appeared as well,” dagdag pa niya.
Hindi rin umano maayos ang pakiramdam nito noong nakaraang Biyernes.
Hiniling ni Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., chairman ng House committee on human rights, na ang desisyon sa mosyon ni Salo ay dapat pang mapag-usapan.
Sa kabilang banda, umapela si Northern Samar 1st District Rep. Paul Daza sa komite na hindi dapat i-cite for contempt si Roque dahil magiging counterproductive ito para sa isang resource person na maditene.
Ani Daza, dahil inamin ni Roque ang pagkakamali ay maaari na lamang itong parusahan sa halip na gawaran ng contempt order.
“Secretary Roque is an intelligent person, he could have actually put in his letter that he was sick, he could have put in there that he had a hearing and not put Manila, my point of view is that we could have never checked, but I think it was good faith, he actually put where the hearing was,” giit ni Daza.
“So I’m more inclined to believe that it was an honest mistake, considering that he’s here, he’s appeared multiple times, and I think the biggest issues are the substance of these various resolutions — it will be counterproductive I think to cite him for contempt,” pagpapatuloy niya.
Sa kabila nito, sinabi ni Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, na nangunguna sa House committee on public accounts na walang punishment of reprimand sa ilalim ng House rules, at ang contempt lamang ang paraan para sa mga nagsisinungaling na resource person.
Kalaunan ay inaprubahan ni Barbers ang mosyon ni Salo.
Inirehistro ni Daza ang kanyang pagtutol sa ruling matapos na aprubahan ang mosyon.
Bilang konsiderasyon sa pagdalo ni Roque at ang kanyang kaugnayan sa abogado, hiniling ni Salo ang period of detention ay itakda lamang sa maximum na isang araw sa House detention facility. RNT/JGC
