Kabayan Party-list Rep. Harry Roque is seeking the expulsion of his party mate Rep. Ron Salo from the House of Representatives after the latter launched a disbarment case against Roque at the Supreme Court (SC).

Roque filed two ethics complaints against Salo where he accused the neophyte lawmaker of using government resources to malign him.

In his first complaint, Roque criticized Salo's disclosure of a disbarment case against him through a press release, which goes against the rules of the Supreme Court.

Roque said Salo used his congressional office last Monday to spread a press release on the disbarment case entitled "Harry Roque Slapped with Disbarment Case for Spreading Lies and Malicious Accusations vs. Fellow Representative."

He added that Salo’s press release of the pending disbarment case is misconduct that amounts to contempt of court and stressed that the press release “was drafted, issued, and disseminated using government property, equipment, personnel, and time resources in a manner that amounts to a crime of technical malversation.”

“Respondent Salo abused his power in order to further his own personal agenda against me. Regardless of his own design for personal vendetta, public funds and resources should never be used toward these ends,” Roque said.

Last Monday, Salo filed a disbarment case before the SC against Roque for “relentlessly spreading lies and malicious accusations" against him.

According to Salo, Roque was spreading that during the former’s stint as Gloria Arroyo’s communications undersecretary, Salo accepted kickbacks from former Zamboanga del Norte representative Romeo Jalosjos to ensure Jalosjos' pardon for raping an 11-year-old girl.

Roque, in another complaint, accused Salo of conspiring “with personalities who purport to be Kabayan Party-list officers” to illegally restrict his rights as a congressman.

“Respondent Salo committed gross ignorance of the fundamental rules that prohibit use of government property, resources, and personnel for personal purposes,” Roque said in his complaint affidavit.

“Respondent Salo likewise committed blatant incompetence when he violated Supreme Court rules that prohibit disclosure of disbarment complaints, and he did so within the premises of House of Representatives and using the property, personnel, and resources of the House of Representatives,” he added.

Roque added that Salo directed his “conspirators” to send notices to Roque to make him explain his acts in Congress, citing a notice entitled “Notice to Explain,” and signed by Joshua Sebastian--a person claiming to be the Secretary General of the Kabayan party-list as an example.

He said the notice asked him to explain his supposed conduct during the hearing of the Committee on Health last December 12, 2016.

“To be clear, I do not recognize the authority of Joshua Sebastian as Secretary-General of the Kabayan Party-list. He was never elected as Secretary-General according to the constitution and by-laws of the Kabayan Party-list. He is therefore a usurper,” he further said.

Sebastian, Roque said, is supposedly part of a fake board Salo constituted in an attempt to oust him from his post.

Last month, Kabayan Party-list officials said they are investigating Roque for "conduct inimical to the image and interests of the party," which Roque dismissed as a statement released by a board organized by Salo, one that Roque says he does not recognize.

Roque instead challenged the board to investigate Salo over the latter's alleged role in the anomalous P3.8-billion Motor Vehicle License Plate Standardization Program (MVLPSP) at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) during the Aquino administration.