Harry Roque denies interfering in Duterte's ICC case
Roque, however, admitted that he offered an 'additional legal remedy' outside the ICC that was subject to the approval of the Duterte family.
'I cannot be blamed for devising remedies to bring former President Duterte home alive. No such idea can be characterized as a crazy scheme,' Roque said in a statement.
'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,' he added.
This came after Duterte's legal counsel, Atty. Nicholas Kaufman, said he was informed that Roque approached a Dutch lawyer with an initiative to sue the Dutch government for Duterte's rendition, based on an interview posted on Alvin and Tourism Facebook Page.
Kaufman dubbed the scheme as 'crazy."
'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,' Kaufman was quoted as saying in a post.
Duterte is under custody of the ICC to face charges over his administration's drug war.
He said that Roque has been portraying himself as the only person capable of defending the former president. He added that Duterte has made it known that Roque should supposedly stop in the case and return to the Philippines.
Roque, for his part, said he is a 'loyal foot soldier of the Dutertes' that wished to see Duterte return to the country.
'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,' he said.
'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,' he added.
Roque is facing charges for qualified human trafficking in connection to the Lucky South 99 POGO firm before the Angeles, Pampanga Regional Trial Court (RTC). —AOL, GMA Integrated News
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
3 hours ago
- GMA Network
Defying SC ruling on VP Sara's impeachment erodes legal order —IBP
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) on Saturday called for adherence to the Supreme Court's ruling that declared the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte as unconstitutional. In a statement, the IBP said that calls to defy the ruling of the High Court "erode the very foundations of the legal order." "Such actions disturb the equilibrium of powers and imperil the integrity of our democratic institutions, especially when appropriate legal remedies remain available within the framework of our constitutional system," the IBP said. "The Constitution does not require agreement. It demands adherence," emphasized the IBP. The IBP maintained its commitment to the constitutional order, which limits the powers of the branches of government, defining their roles and demanding their accountability. "To uphold the Constitution is to uphold each of its mandates equally-whether judicial, legislative, or executive. We therefore recognize and respect the exclusive power of the House of Representatives to initiate impeachment, just as we acknowledge the Supreme Court's solemn duty to interpret the Constitution and resolve legal uncertainties in faithful service to the Republic," said the IBP. The IBP also said that, "as the final arbiter of constitutional questions, the Supreme Court bears the solemn duty to interpret the law, determine its bounds, and clarify its implications even when it revisits past doctrines or addresses new contexts." Moving forward Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio earlier said that there is still a possibility that the Supreme Court will reverse its decision declaring the articles of impeachment against Duterte as unconstitutional. Carpio said this, hinging on the plan of the House of Representatives to file a motion for reconsideration on the SC decision as the lower chamber argued that the ruling was based on incorrect findings that contradict official records. 'Theoretically, pwede [it's possible]. I mean, there's no rule or law, constitutional provision that say that they [cannot] correct themselves,' Carpio said in a forum. According to the former SC associate justice, there had been many instances in the past when the high court 'completely reversed itself.' Further, constitutional law expert Atty. Domingo "Egon" Cayosa said the Senate may opt to proceed with the trial of Duterte despite the Supreme Court's decision. Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros had said a draft resolution is being circulated containing former justices' advice on how the Senate should proceed following the Supreme Court ruling declaring the articles of impeachment against Duterte as unconstitutional. However, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said 19 to 20 senators are likely to adhere to the decision of the SC. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
19 hours ago
- GMA Network
UP Law faculty members: Congress vested with prerogatives on impeachment
Individual faculty members of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law on Friday expressed "grave concern" on the developments regarding the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, stressing that Congress is empowered with "high prerogatives" on the impeachment process. Signed by over 80 legal experts as of August 1, the five-page joint statement of the UP Law faculty members warned that the Supreme Court decision which declared the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte unconstitutional has "consequences" that create an "incentive" for filing of sham complaints to trigger the one-year bar rule. "We express our conviction that Congress is constitutionally vested with high prerogatives and thus deserves the appropriate deference in its procedures and in the conduct of impeachment. At the very least, given the House's reliance on two decades of precedents and practices, any new rules should be prospective in application," the statement read. It added, "We call on our democratic institutions to act in accordance with these fundamental principles, and to foster a full public debate on the impeachment in keeping with constitutional accountability," it added. Voting 13-0-2, the SC declared the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte unconstitutional, stressing that it is barred by the one-year rule under the Constitution and that it violates her right to due process. The Supreme Court ruled that the one-year ban is reckoned from the time an impeachment complaint is dismissed or is no longer viable. The first three impeachment complaints were archived and deemed terminated or dismissed on February 5, 2025 when the House of Representatives endorsed the fourth impeachment complaint, the SC ruled. The high court said the Senate cannot acquire jurisdiction over the impeachment proceedings. However, the SC added that it is not absolving Duterte from any of the charges against her and that any subsequent impeachment complaint may be filed starting February 6, 2026. "We the undersigned individual members of the faculty of the University of the Philippines College of law, express our grave concern with the developments in the impeachment of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte," the statement read. "[W]e warn that these recent developments undermine impeachment as an indispensable instrument of political accountability for our highest public officials," it added. 'Permanent' change The faculty members noted that impeachments are "decided only upon the simple question" of whether or not the official should continue to be entrusted with public office. Since the consequence is not civil damages nor imprisonment but removal from public office, they said, elected representatives are the ones to decide on the outcome. Noting that the Constitution provides that the House has the "exclusive power to initiate" and that the Senate has the "sole power to try and decide" all cases of impeachment, the faculty members said they share the view of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) that "over-judicialization" of the process, meaning court-like procedures are laid down for Congress, "will permanently change impeachment's nature." They also argued that the House merely followed rules set by the Supreme Court in Francisco v. House of Representatives and Gutierrez v. Committee on Justice, which defined initiation of impeachment complaint as filing the impeachment complaint before the House and referring it to the chamber's committee on justice. "This could not be an abuse of discretion, much less a grave one," the faculty members said. Any changes should be applied moving forward, they said, and not in Duterte's impeachment case. "If the Court intended to lay out new rules for the House, then the 'reliance of the public thereto prior to their being declared unconstitutional' calls for at least a prospective application of its decision and not the nullification of the House's actions," they said. Compliance by the House Further, they said judicial review is only for cases where there is abuse, but not in the Vice President's case because the House complied with rules previously set by the high tribunal. Likewise, the UP College of Law Faculty members backed former Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolf Azcuna, who had warned that the High Court's decision on the Duterte case contradicts the Constitution's intent to make impeachments easier to initiate. "The Duterte ruling has consequences that the parties themselves did not appear to contemplate," they said, noting that the plenary now has the power to block resolutions for impeachment. "The ruling creates an incentive for the filing of sham complaints to trigger the one-year bar rule—a political strategy once criticized by a justice as making 'a mockery of the power of impeachment.' Narrower rulings in the past have precisely avoided these unintended consequences," they said. Due process Further, the faculty members said the House did not violate the right of the Vice President to due process because the Senate impeachment court is the proper venue to defend herself as provided by the Constitution. "While Article 6, Section 21 of the Constitution requires the 'rights of persons appearing in, or affected by' legislative inquiries 'shall be respected,' no similar rule applies in Article 11, Section 3 on impeachment. Impeachment has thus never required the observance of due process that applies to administrative proceedings: the impeachment trial is itself the due process," they said. "This is not because the Constitution intended to be oppressive towards a respondent. Instead, and following congressional practice, the right to be heard of an impeachable officer is honored in the trial before the Senate," they added. Finally, the UP College of Law faculty members said that unlike in legal proceedings, the principal aim of impeachment is not to litigate a right of the impeachable officer, but to protect the public and enforce accountability. "A reading of the Constitution to further accountability requires a return to the paradigm of protecting the people and a reiteration of the principle that public office is a public trust—a sacred privilege, not a god-given right," they said. "As academics, our only client is the truth. And while the course of Vice President Duterte's impeachment has veered further away from discovering it, we write with hope that our democratic institutions will, with statesmanship and prudence, allow us, the people, to eventually find our way towards restoring accountability," they added. — Llanesca T. Panti/ VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
21 hours ago
- GMA Network
AI use in PH classrooms must fit students' needs —solon
Some things must be considered first before artificial intelligence (AI) can be integrated into the classrooms, said House Basic Education and Culture Committee chairperson Roman Romulo. While AI can be an effective learning tool, Romulo said that it's important for students to develop their critical thinking. 'May advantages siya, but before we implement it fully kailangan natin pagaralan kung ano yung tamang level at kung sino yung mga estudyante na kailangan natin bigyan ng AI. Kasi mayroon ng mga pagaaral, although preliminary po yun, may lumabas na pagaaral I think from schools in Boston na sinasabi nga nila hindi naman wholesale ibigay natin yung AI sa lahat o yung technology,' he said in an interview with Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on Friday. (It has its benefits, but before we roll it out completely, we need to carefully consider the appropriate level and which students truly need AI. There are already studies, though preliminary, I think from schools in Boston, that suggest we shouldn't just give AI or the technology to everyone wholesale.) 'Kasi maganda pa rin na nadedevelop yung learner o yung bata yung traditional way of learning. Nahahasa din papunta siyang critical thinking, kailangan talaga pinagiisipan niya yung bawat bagay,' Romulo added. (It's still beneficial for learners and children to develop using traditional learning methods. This also sharpens their critical thinking skills, requiring them to genuinely ponder every detail.) The latest Philippine Statistics Authority study showed that more than 1 in 5 Filipinos aged 10 to 64 have difficulty comprehending what they read—despite being able to read, write, and compute. National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said the basic literacy rate — the share of people who can read, write, and compute — is 93.1%, but only 70.8% are considered functionally literate, meaning they can also comprehend. In his fourth State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted concerns in the education system, including literacy. 'May value talaga ang AI. Pero hindi siya pwedeng wholesale for now, one size does not fit all. Kailangan natin ma-tailor fit yung pagintroduce ng technology, pag-introduce ng AI depending po sa sitwasyon para responsible din yung paggamit ng mga developments na ito,' said Romulo. (AI truly has value. However, it can't be a wholesale solution for now; one size doesn't fit all. We need to tailor the introduction of this technology and AI depending on the situation, ensuring responsible use of these developments.) 'Pero naniniwala ako, the moment ma-full throttle at effective na ito na ginagawa ng DepEd natin, nakatutok na sa functional literacy, the computer technology will be used in the right way,' he added, referring to the Department of Education's ARAL Program which offers free tutorials and interventions to students struggling with reading, mathematics, and science. (But I believe the moment our DepEd fully and effectively implements this focus on functional literacy, computer technology will be used in the right way.) —Vince Angelo Ferreras/LDF, GMA Integrated News
