SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez said Tuesday the House of Representatives could not provide protective custody to Rep. Michael Romero who is facing charges for allegedly stealing money from his family-owned Harbour Centre Port Terminal Inc.
He said the House would follow the orders of the Manila court that issued an arrest warrant against the congressman.
“Protective custody will be unlikely,” Alvarez told reporters.
“We will be violating the law if we grant him protective custody despite the warrant of arrest issued against him.”
Asked to comment on the request of Jerome Canlas, lawyer of Romero’s father businessman Reghis Romero, that they would ask his help to arrest the congressman, Alvarez said it was up to the authorities to arrest him.
“I totally have no idea how we will be able to help. We do not know his whereabouts in the first place,” Alvarez said.
“Let the arresting officers tasked to serve the [arrest] warrant to do their job.”
Alvarez said the House could seek help from the Philippine National Police to locate Romero.
He said he had also advised the young Romero to just make up with his father.
Like Alvarez, House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas said the House leadership could not guarantee immunity from arrest to Romero.
He made the remark after Manila RTC Branch 11 Judge Cicero Jurado Jr. ordered the arrest and recommended no bail for Romero and his co-accused Edwin Jeremillo and Felicia Aquino on Jan. 6.