PH rights watchdog urges Dutch gov’t: Reject Roque’s asylum bid

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque is one of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s legal counsels. Photo from Harry Roque Facebook page

MANILA, Philippines — Rights watchdog Karapatan has urged the Dutch government to reject former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s application for asylum in The Netherlands.

Karapatan issued the statement on Monday evening after Roque announced his plan, which the group described as his way of “evading full accountability” over his alleged ties to illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo).

READ: Harry Roque to apply for asylum in The Netherlands

“We call on the Dutch government to immediately reject Roque’s application,” the group said.

“Genuine asylum seekers are people facing violations of their rights from their home countries. Roque is more notoriously known as an opportunist accomplice of human rights violators like Duterte and thus should not be eligible for asylum in the Netherlands and anywhere else outside the Philippines,” they added.

Roque is one of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s legal counsels. Last March 11, Duterte was arrested on a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) over crimes against humanity allegedly committed during his administration’s drug war.

Duterte is currently in The Hague, Netherlands. He attended his pre-trial hearing at the ICC via video call last March 14.

Karapatan also called on the Canadian government to disallow the stay of former Philippine National Police officer Josue Limmong Ahuday and National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict agent Jeffrey Celiz in their country.

Karapatan said Ahuday was among the officers who reportedly played a role in the Duterte administration’s drug war, while Celiz was a “redtagger” who “repeatedly endangered activists and dissenters.”

Based on reports, the on drugs left at least 6,000 people dead; however, human rights groups reported that the number may have reached 20,000.