KABAYAN party-list Rep. Harry Roque on Monday denounced the investigation to be launched against him by his own party-list group for allegedly displaying “dishonorable behavior” when he pitched questions to Ronnie Dayan during the congressional probe into the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison.
Roque accused his partymate, Ron Salo, the second nominee of Kabayan party-list, as being behind the plot to oust him from the party.
Roque, the first nominee of the party, said Salo was the one in limbo because the court already found probable cause to proceed with the trial of the falsification case against him.
Roque also claimed Salo had tainted image because of his involvement in the anomalous license plate contract in the Land Transportation Office.
“Salo was involved in many anomalies. It is unethical, he should be the one to be removed because of the case.Out of delicadeza, he should resign,” Roque said.
Roque, a lawyer, told Salo the party could not oust him or remove him from the party since he had been proclaimed winner by the Commission on Elections.
He said the only way to remove his membership was through an ethics complaint or by resignation—which he would not do.
The Kabayan party-list group claimed Roque’s line of question and behavior during the congressional probe into the Bilibid drug trade were “inimical to the image and interests of the party.”
“Instead of focusing on Dayan’s alleged links with the illegal drug trade, Roque, along with other lawmakers, focused on the salacious details of the love affair between Dayan and Sen. Leila de Lima. We can ignore the actuations of these other Congressmen, but we cannot tolerate the same from one who represents us,” Kabayan party-list senior member Pastro Cesar Pabuayon said in a statement.
Pabuayon stressed Roque’s “indecency has extremely affected the party-list, which prides itself of its record of principled advocacy, for equality and respect for the dignity of all people and classes.”
