Roque requesting asylum to evade House probe

Screengrab video from Harry Roque Facebook page

MANILA, Philippines — Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s asylum application in the Netherlands is a tactic to evade the House quad committee, which is looking into his alleged links with illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), according to Malacañang.

“Even before he applied for asylum in the Netherlands, we know that he had already avoided attending any quad committee hearings. He left the Philippines and never returned,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a briefing on Monday.

READ: Writer leads petition vs Roque asylum bid

“So, what does this mean? It’s a tactic to prevent further questioning about his revelations at the quad committee hearing regarding his transactions,” she added.

Roque earlier said he applied for asylum in the Netherlands amid an arrest warrant issued against him by the committee. —Tina G. Santos