Santa Rosa lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez (left), lawyer Harry Roque (Facebook)

Stop hiding and surrender to authorities, Atty. Harry Roque. 

This was essentially the message of two co-chairmen of the House quad-committee (quad-comm) to the beleaguered former presidential spokesperson on Wednesday, Oct. 2, after the Supreme Court (SC) rejected his petition for writ of amparo against the mega-panel's detention order. 

Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez and Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers made the call as they insisted on Roque’s importance to the quad-comm's investigation on illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). 

"Sumuko ka na, Atty. Roque. Hindi na ito ang panahon para magpalusot (Atty. Roque, please surrender. This is not that the time for avoidance). Atty. Roque should face the music and answer the allegations in the proper forum," Fernandez said. 

"Ang batas ang dapat manaig. Hindi dapat itago ni Roque ang kanyang sarili sa likod ng mga technicalities o mga writ na wala namang basehan,” said the Laguna solon. 

(The law should reign supreme. Roque shouldn't hide behind technicalities or writs that have no basis.) 

He said that as far as the High Court is concerned, Roque’s rights have not been violated. 

"The wheels of justice are turning, and no amount of legal gymnastics will protect those complicit in these crimes,” stressed Fernandez, also chairman of the House Committee on Public Order and Safety. 

Time to cooperate 

Barbers, the overall chairman of the special four-way panel, urged Roque to heed the rule of law and cooperate with the ongoing investigation, which had uncovered alarming connections between POGOs and other illicit activities, including illegal drug syndicates and extrajudicial killings (EJKs). 

"The [quad-comm] is uncovering layers of criminal activities tied to POGOs, and we need full transparency from everyone involved," Barbers, who also chairs the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, said. 

"Kung walang itinatago si Atty. Roque, bakit siya nagtatago (If Atty. Roque isn't hiding anything, then why is he hiding)? The public deserves to know the truth,” he added. 

Barbers also encouraged Roque to respect the legal process rather than resort to actions that confuse the public. 

"If he believes he is innocent, he should welcome the opportunity to clear his name in a proper legal forum. Trying to escape through technicalities only raises more suspicions,” he said. 

The House's arrest order on Roque stemmed from his second contempt citation from the quad-comm. The chairmen are waiting on Roque submit documents that that promised to bring to a hearing last month; instead, he went into hiding.  

Adiong welcomes SC ruling 

Handed down on Oct.1, the SC ruling clarified that the writ of amparo was intended for cases of EJKs or enforced disappearances--situations that do not apply in Roque’s case. 

Also welcoming the ruling was Assistant Majority Leader Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong--a frequent interpellator of resource persons in the quad-comm hearings. 

"This ruling underscores the fundamental role of Congress in exercising its legislative powers, particularly in conducting inquiries in aid of legislation. Such inquiries are vital to ensuring transparency, accountability, and the pursuit of truth," he said. 

"Moreover, this ruling bolsters Congress' essential oversight function, empowering it to monitor and review the actions of other branches and institutions. 

"By upholding our contempt order, the [SC] has strengthened our capacity to ensure that public officials and agencies remain accountable to the people, allowing Congress to continue exercising its oversight functions effectively," said Adiong.