Harry Roque in his final appearance at the House of Representatives last year. (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Leaders of the House quad-committee (quad-comm) are demanding answers from government agencies, particularly the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), as to the circumstances of lawyer Harry Roque's travel to The Hague in the Netherlands. 

Overall quad-comm chairman Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers and co-chairman ABANG LINGKOD Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano noted that Roque, ex-president Rodrigo Duterte's former presidential spokesperson, had been cited in contempt by the special joint panel around September 2024.

The contempt citation came with an arrest order, which Roque managed to evade all these months. But last week, he turned up at The Hague to support Duterte in his ongoing trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.

“I think we should already ask the [BI] ano bang nangyari, isang ba galing yan? (I think we should already ask the BI as to what happened, where did he come from?)" Barbers said in an interview. 

"Kasi, I'm sure, gumamit ng passport niya pagdating niya dun sa Netherlands. Yung kanyang port of origin will definitely be reflected in his passport (Because, I'm sure, he used his passport upon arriving in the Netherlands. His port of origin will definitely be reflected in his passport)," he said.

"So bakit hindi na-inform ang [BI], tungkol siya, bakit walang action ang [BI]? (So why was the BI not informed, why didn't BI act on it?)" asked Barbers.

Paduano, in a separate interview, said he will seek the presence of officials from both the BI and DFA to find out what how Roque ended up in northwestern Europe. "That should be answered by the [DFA], tsaka yung (and the) [BI]," he said.

"So most probably in the next hearing of quad-comm, we might as well invite DFA and BI to explain to the Committee with regards to the documents, especially the passports being used by Harry Roque," Paduano said.

"Sabi ko na nga (Like what I said, they have to explain to the Committee na (that) Harry Roque is cited in contempt but is scot-free. Especially ngayon, lumabas na talaga with VP Sara [Duterte] pa and all other entourage doon sa The Hague (Especially now, he has come out with VP Sara and the rest of the entourage at The Hague)," he said.

The quad-comm co-chairman can't help but comment on the sudden switch in the demeanor of Roque. Who had previously been described as a fugitive.

"Nagtatago nga siya eh, pero doon napaka-komportable siyang naglalakad (We went into hiding, but now he's comfortably walking around in public)."

At any rate, Paduano said it's too early to talk about that possible liabilities of the two agencies.

"We will ask the DFA kung anong mga pwedeng legal remedies with regards to the order of the House in relation to the passports and documents na ginagamit ni Atty. Roque (We will ask the DFA on the possible legal remedies with regards to the order of the House in relation to the passports and documents that was used by Atty. Roque)," he said.

Tne next quad-comm hearing is tentatively set on Friday, March 21.