Harry Roque confident of getting Netherlands asylum
MANILA, Philippines — Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Friday that the “empty” complaint filed against him is proof of persecution that will strengthen the grounds for the granting of his asylum in The Netherlands.
Roque referred to the supplemental complaint affidavit filed before the Department of Justice in October last year over his alleged involvement in the Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) activities.
“Yung supplemental complaint laban sa akin, obviously pahabol para magipit lang ako, ang patunay ng persecution dahil wala talaga itong laman!”, Roque said in a Facebook post:
(The supplemental complaint against me is obviously a last ditch effort to pressure me, the proof of persecution because it has no merits!)
“Siguradong ma grant ang aking asylum! Pustahan?”
(Surely, my asylum will be granted! I would bet on it.)
Roque recently sought asylum in the Netherlands.
He also addressed the arrest order from the House of Representatives after being cited for contempt and ordered detained due to his failure to submit documents that would justify the alleged sudden increase in his wealth.
The lower chamber issued a subpoena ordering Roque to submit his SALN from 2016-2022, his and his wife Maila’s income tax returns from 2014-2022 and their respective medical certificates, the extrajudicial settlement of the estate including tax returns of his late aunt, and the deed of sale with tax returns and transfer of property of the 1.8-hectare property in Multinational Village, Paranaque that his family sold.
“Ayaw ko lang ibigay ang mga dokumento na wala namang kinalaman sa imbestigasyon ng Kongreso na magsisilbi na mitsa sa buhay ko at ng aking pamilya dahil sa lantaran na naman ang kidnapping for ransom,” Roque said.
(I just don’t want to give the documents which have nothing to do with the Congressional investigation that will put my life and that of my family in danger because kidnapping for ransom is now out in the open again.)
Roque left the country last year.
He then made his first public appearance in The Hague, Netherlands on March 14 to visit arrested former President Rodrigo Duterte.
