DOJ chief: Efforts to bring Co, Roque home not political oppression

Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co and Harry Roque. Photos from Zaldy Co’s Facebook page and Inquirer MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government’s efforts to repatriate former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, whom it considers fugitives, are not an act of political oppression, Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said Thursday. At a press conference, Vida urged his counterparts in European countries, where Co and Roque are seeking asylum, not to allow their territories to become a “haven for fugitives.” “Our pursuit of him is not a matter of politics — it is a matter of accountability. That the crime involved here is a crime that is also punishable in France and [in any other country],” he said. Article continues after this advertisement “There’s no political oppression… All we want is for them to be held liable under the legal system of the Philippines,” he added. Vida and other Department of Justice (DOJ) officials flew to Prague, Czech Republic, last April to explore ways to expedite Co’s return to the Philippines so he could face his graft and malversation cases before the Sandiganbayan over his alleged role in anomalous flood control projects. They made the trip after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on April 16 that Czech and German authorities had accosted Co at the border of the two countries. Czech authorities later released Co because the International Criminal Police Organization had not issued a standing international arrest warrant or red notice against him. He, however, is now believed to be staying in France, where he supposedly applied for asylum. READ: Remulla to visit France amid Zaldy Co and Loren Legarda’s stay Article continues after this advertisement Meanwhile, Roque is reported to have been seeking political asylum in Austria, the country that issued his Schengen visa, after he criticized the Marcos administration for political persecution. Roque, ex-spokesperson for former President Rodrigo Duterte, is believed to have left the country illegally in September 2024, as the Bureau of Immigration had no records of him crossing Philippine borders. Article continues after this advertisement He left after the DOJ issued an immigration lookout bulletin order against him and 11 others who were linked to the illegal operations and alleged human trafficking activities of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator in Porac, Pampanga. /mcm Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful.