House leaders stated on Friday that the contempt order issued against former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque demonstrates that the House of Representatives does not extend special treatment to VIPs or former members.
House dangerous drugs panel chairperson Ace Barbers and House committee on public order and safety chairperson Dan Fernandez responded after Roque expressed that it was unfair to be cited for contempt and detained for 24 hours.
Roque is currently under scrutiny for his alleged involvement as a lawyer for a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) firm. He claimed it was an honest mistake when he cited a scheduling conflict between the House hearing and a court appearance.
“We don’t issue contempt orders on a whim. We are being consistent. In my committee, we have issued contempt orders from lower-ranked police and military officials to higher-ups. If we become lenient and keep saying ‘sorry, let it pass,’ people will not take our investigations seriously,” Fernandez stated in a press conference.
“How can we craft or amend laws when resource persons are disrespecting the committee? We strive for consistency to maintain credibility and productivity. Otherwise, our efforts would be meaningless,” he added.
Barbers emphasized that contempt orders are issued based on merit.
“Based on our evaluation of his explanation, we do not believe it was an honest mistake. That is why he was cited for contempt. Attorney Roque was aware of our hearing scheduled for August 16, and when we checked, there was no court hearing in Manila on that date. So what does that imply? Should the committee accept such excuses?” Barbers questioned.
“If there was a violation of House rules, then it is a contemptible act. A penalty must be imposed if there is a contemptible act among our resource persons. That is outlined in our rules. If we are not fair in imposing penalties every time there is a violation, then no one will respect us. We stood firm in our decision to cite him in contempt,” Barbers concluded.
Barbers noted that since Roque received his contempt order at 9 pm on August 22, he would be released at 9 pm on August 23.
During the August 22 hearing, lawmakers also scrutinized the significant increase in the assets of Biancham Holdings and Trading, owned by Roque, from P125,000 in 2014 to P3.125 million in 2015 and P67.7 million in 2018.
Roque explained this was due to his family selling their 1.8-hectare property in Parañaque.
However, the lawmakers remain unconvinced and have requested Roque to submit his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) and Income Tax Return for discussion at the next hearing.