NBI Chief to Roque: Come Home and Face the Charges

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has been urged by the National Bureau of Investigation to return to the Philippines and address the charges filed against him.

Newly appointed NBI Director Melvin Matibag made the call during a courtesy visit to the Department of Justice, emphasizing that Roque should personally respond to the allegations linked to his reported involvement in a Philippine offshore gaming operator in Pampanga.

“He is a lover of the law. You should come home and face the charges and answer them,” Matibag told reporters.

Roque is currently in Austria where he is seeking asylum. While reports say that a Pasig court has already canceled his passport, Roque denied this and insisted that he still holds a valid travel document. He is also hoping to avoid the issuance of an Interpol red notice while his asylum request is being processed.

Despite speculation that his appointment as NBI chief could influence ongoing cases, Matibag assured the public that the bureau would operate independently of political considerations.

“I will not zero in on Roque. I don’t want him to distract me. Everybody will be treated the same,” he said, referring to Roque’s earlier remark that his appointment was a “reward.”

Matibag also vowed that the NBI would go after suspects in corruption-related cases and other high-profile fugitives regardless of political affiliations.

“If they won’t surrender and the court has given us a process, we will use the full force of the law to go after them,” he added.

Under his leadership, the bureau aims to push forward with its mandate to enforce accountability and strengthen the country’s ongoing fight against corruption.