Harry Roque seeking asylum to avoid further Pogo questioning – Palace

Claire Castro (left) and Harry Roque. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s application for asylum in the Netherlands is a tactic to avoid further questioning at a congressional hearing on Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo), a Palace official said Monday.

At a briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro was asked about Roque’s motive for seeking asylum in a foreign country.

“Even though he has not yet applied for asylum in the Netherlands, we know he has not appeared in any Quad Comm hearing. He left the Philippines and has not returned,” she said.

READ: Palace to Harry Roque: ‘Defend yourself first before defending others’

“So, what does this mean? Is this a tactic to avoid being questioned again about his revelations in the Quad Comm hearing regarding his transactions,” Castro added.

Castro also said it is up to the Dutch government to decide whether Roque’s affiliation with former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing charges of crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the drug war, would affect his asylum application.

Letter and online petition to stop Roque’s application for asylum

Joel Vega, a Filipino-Dutch writer, is leading a campaign to block Roque’s asylum request, pointing out his “deceptive strategy” to evade the charges against him in the Philippines.

READ: Letter, online petition to block Roque’s application for asylum

Vega cited the following grounds to reject Roque’s asylum application in a letter sent to the Director-General of the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Services:

• Roque’s asylum request has no basis, as there are no well-founded reasons for his claim of political persecution in the Philippines.
  It is a “deceptive strategy” for Roque to avoid investigation or possible liability on his alleged connection with Pogo.
• Approving or providing asylum for Roque would make Dutch institutions a party to Roque’s intentions to subvert a valid probe into the Pogo issues.
• Roque’s motive to “elude accountability or investigations” into his supposed links to Pogo violates Dutch rules on asylum procedures, as Roque does not face or is not threatened with torture or execution in his country of birth.

Vega also initiated an online signature campaign via Change.org.