Justice Chief Remulla Speaks on Whereabouts of Harry Roque After Alleged Denial of his Asylum Bid
HARRY ROQUE ASYLUM – Department of Justice Sec. Boying Remulla claimed that the asylum bid of the former Spokesman in Netherlands was denied.
In May, a Pampanga court issued arrest warrants against Roque, Cassandra Ong, and 49 other people facing allegations of involvement in the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming operations in the country. However, then, the former presidential spokesman of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte was already in abroad.
Roque was in hiding for six (6) months prior to Duterte’s transfer of custody to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands. When he was seen in public again, he expressed his willingness to defend his former boss before the ICC.
However, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte has decided that former presidential spokesman Harry Roque will not be part of the ICC legal team of her father. According to her, they want the lawyers of the former President to really be focusing in the case while Roque must focus on his bid for asylum.
Former presidential spox Harry Roque filed an application for asylum in The Netherlands. Following his application, he stressed that there was no more need for him to hide. He also claimed that he cannot be deported while the process is ongoing and it may take up to a year and a half.
Recently, amid a pending arrest warrant against Harry Roque, DOJ chief Boying Remulla claimed he got reports that the asylum bid of Duterte’s former spokesman was denied by the government in The Netherlands. Based on a report on Inquirer, the Justice Secretary also said that Roque is in Germany now following the denial of his application for asylum.
“As far I know, he was not granted asylum by the Netherlands. So he is in Germany,” he said.
Based on the report, DOJ chief Boying Remulla said that Harry Roque may be extradited “when the time comes”. According to him, there might even be no need for it as the former presidential spokesman’s passport is about to be cancelled. He stressed that if his passport is cancelled, he will be an “undocumented alien” abroad and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) may arrest him.
“The EU has open borders. But if he is a fugitive from justice, especially if he loses his documentation, Interpol can chase him,” the Justice Secretary said.
Previously, Remulla claimed he got reports that Harry Roque allegedly got 3 Philippine passports.