FORMER presidential spokesman Harry Roque said his 24-hour detention at the House of Representatives was an "abuse of power" on the chamber's part.

Roque was cited in contempt for lying about his failure to attend the House hearing in Bacolor, Pampanga, on August 16.

In two separate statements on his Facebook page, Roque also described his detention as "political harassment."

On Thursday night, he wrote that his non-appearance was an honest mistake. "Congress is closed on Fridays, so I thought the hearing was scheduled on August 15, Thursday, just like the two previous House hearings set on Thursday," he said.

Roque said he did not intend to disrespect the House by his absence, adding, "I have appeared in 3 out of 4 invitations" to attend previous hearings.

In his statement on Friday, Roque said there were "only two reasons why I was imprisoned: First, to silence me as a vocal critic of the Administration and a loyal ally of the Dutertes; and second, to prevent me from fulfilling my role as the lawyer for former President [Rodrigo] Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC)," he said.

The ICC is said to be preparing to charge Duterte with crimes against humanity in connection with the extrajudicial killings linked to his war on drugs.

"It is very clear that this is a demolition job," Roque continued.

"All sorts of issues have been thrown at me to bring me down. This includes issues of corruption, human trafficking, housing a fugitive, and advocating for a licensed POGO (Philippine offshore gaming operator)."

"After more than a month of vicious character assassination and relentless trial by publicity, the honorable men and women of the 19th Congress found me guilty of one crime: an absence to a House Committee invite," he wrote. "This shows the desperation of the current Administration to pin me down. But we will not bow down to political pressure."

He thanked his family for being the "constant anchor" during his day in detention, which coincided with his wife's birthday.

During a virtual briefing on Friday, the two co-chairmen of the House "quad" committee investigating alleged drug trafficking activities and extrajudicial killings in POGO sites denied persecuting resource persons like Roque who were identified with the Duterte administration.

The House quad panel is made up of the Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Public Accounts, and Human Rights committees.

House Public Order and Safety chairman Danilo Ramon Fernandez stressed that the committee must have a "strong" resolve to investigate anyone, including a former House colleague such as Roque.

Roque was the representative of the Kabayan Party-list until he resigned in 2020 to become presidential spokesman.

"It's not just that he was a former colleague, a former secretary and a topnotch lawyer, we will go easy on him. He clearly violated the rules," Fernandez said.

House Dangerous Drugs panel chairman Robert Ace Barbers said he would not dignify Roque's statement that he was being persecuted during the hearing.

"We know that we are fair, and if you violate [our House Rules]...we will detain and contempt you," Barbers said.

Both Barbers and Fernandez also said they will extend the courtesy to Duterte, who was invited to the quad hearing to shed light on the deaths of three Chinese at the Davao Penal Farm in 2016 convicted of drug charges.

Salvador Panelo, Duterte's former chief presidential legal counsel, lashed at Barbers and Fernandez for calling on the former president to testify on the killing of the Chinese detainees.

Two inmates claimed before a House panel that they killed the Chinese convicts on Duterte's orders.

Panelo said lawmakers should be reminded of the basic rule, "who alleges must prove."

"If the congressmen are alleging that if extrajudicial killing was the policy of the Duterte administration enforcing the law, then they should prove that that was the policy of the Duterte administration, not the other way around," Panelo said in a statement.

"The presumption of regularity in the enforcement of the law is observed in this jurisdiction. They must show proof that there was irregularity in the implementation of the law," he said.

Panelo also urged lawmakers to revisit Duterte's first State of the Nation Address, in which he declared war against illegal drugs and warned that law enforcement officers who abuse their power will have "hell to pay."

"In short, the war on drugs must be pursued vigorously and relentlessly, and in accordance with law; otherwise the law enforcer who violates the rules on engagement will be prosecuted to the full extent of law," he said.

Panelo said this was proof that the Duterte administration was against extrajudicial killing.

"The criminal cases filed against the erring policemen in connection with anti-illegal drug operations that earned them conviction is another proof that [Duterte] did not tolerate unjustified killing of suspects," he said.