REPRESENTATIVE Harry Roque filed Thursday a criminal complaint with the Department of Justice (DOJ) against the alleged "fake" board members of his partylist group, Kabalikat ng Mamamayan, commonly known as Kabayan.
Roque slapped with charges the following Kabayan members, namely: Ron Salo, Joshua Sebastian, Victor Caguimbal, Rex Tacda, Pedro Parrocho, Anthony Avelino, Jennis Nidea, Cesar Roy, Adrian Tuazon, Tito Marshall Fajardo, Eduardo Robles, and Arnold Moralejo for violation of the Parliamentary Immunity or article 145 of the Revised Penal Code.
Article 145 of the Revised penal code states that "the penalty of prision mayor (6 to 12 years imprisonment) shall be imposed upon any person who shall use force, intimidation, threats, or fraud to prevent any member of the National Assembly (Congress of the Philippines) from attending the meetings of the Congress or any of its committees or subcommittees, constitutional commissions or committees of divisions from expressing his opinions or casting his vote."
In the affidavit, Roque claimed that Salo and the other respondents "claiming to be trustees and officers of Kabayan" are preventing him from discharging his constitutional and legal duties as a member of the House of Representatives.
Roque added that the said respondents also seek to remove him in the Congress.
"The purported Board of Trustees of the Kabayan partylist passed and issued Resolution No. 2017-001 on January 12 2017, which resolution removed me as member of said partylist, and consequently, as a representative of the partylist in the House of Representatives," Roque said.
According to Roque, 10 members of the group voted to unseat him while two others abstained, due to his behavior and statements during the November 24 hearing on drug proliferation in the state penitentiary involving Senator Leila De Lima.
Roque during the House hearing pried into the love affair between De Lima and her former driver-bodyguard Ronnie Dayan.
Kabayan adopted the recommendation of the board and resolved that Roque be perpetually banned from attending any Kabayan partylist meetings and activities. The resolution also terminates Roque as the representative of the said partylist in the congress.
Salo in January has filed before the Supreme Court a disbarment case against Roque for allegedly spreading lies and malicious allegations against him to allegedly discredit him from the members of the Kabayan partylist.
Roque became a partylist representative after acceding to Salo's pleas for him to become a Kabayan partylist nominee. Roque is Salo's godfather in the wedding. (SunStar Philippines)