Harry Roque not part of Duterte’s defense team at ICC – VP Sara

Harry Roque talks to journalists outside the International Criminal Court (ICC) ahead of the hearing of former President Rodrigo Duterte in The Hague on March 14, 2025. Agence France-Presse

MANILA, Philippines — Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque is not part of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s legal team before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

This was according to Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, in an interview with reporters at The Hague, Netherlands, on Tuesday.

“So far, hindi siya kasama sa legal team (he’s not part of the legal team),” Duterte said.

“This is because the basis of his stay here in the Netherlands has not yet been established and we don’t want complications… We want him to focus on his asylum and we want our lawyers to focus on the case,” the vice president said.

READ: Roque to seek political asylum in the Netherlands

Roque is among the roster of lawyers registered with the ICC.

However, he faces a human trafficking case before the Department of Justice (DOJ) and has a warrant out for his arrest issued by the House of Representatives.

The former presidential spokesperson said he applied for political asylum in the Netherlands.

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

Former President Duterte faces a case before the ICC for crimes against humanity in connection with his administration’s bloody war on drugs.

While official government data puts the death toll of Duterte’s anti-narcotics campaign at around 6,000, human rights watchdogs said between 12,000 and 30,000 were killed.