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Jean Mangaluz - Philstar.com
March 18, 2025 | 5:48pm
Ex-presidential spokesperson Harry Roque is in the Hague, Netherlands following the arrest of the former president Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity.
One News via Gretchen Ho / Philstar.com's screenshot
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has questioned former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque's bid for political asylum in the Netherlands, saying that he should face the cases pending against him in the Philippines.
Roque left the country illegally in September 2024 and is currently facing charges of qualified human trafficking related to illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) operations in the Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga.
Since leaving, Roque has been spotted in the United Arab Emirates, China, and Japan. After months of refusing to return to the Philippines, Roque surfaced in the Netherlands, where he is attending the trial of former president Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.
Not only does Roque want to serve as Duterte’s legal counsel, but he is also seeking political asylum in the Netherlands.
“Wala po tayong nakikitang political persecution, harapin na lang po niya ang kaso niya po dito, mas maganda po iyan para maipakita niya sa taumbayan na wala po talaga siya kasalanan,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.
(We do not see any political persecution, he should face his cases here so that he could prove to the public that he is innocent.)
Before his petition for political asylum could be granted, Castro reminded Roque that he would need to prove a well-founded fear of political persecution.
However, evidence gathered during the POGO raid in Porac strongly implicated him.
Castro said that documents with Roque’s name found in the raid were discovered with little effort from the government, essentially falling into their hands.
“How could there be a political persecution if all the pieces of evidence are overwhelming?”
Lucky South 99 listed Roque as their "legal counsel," a claim which the former spokesperson has denied.
However, Roque has admitted to accompanying alleged POGO stakeholder Cassandra Ong to meet with Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Chair Alejandro Tengco to settle financial matters.
Roque insists that the meeting was not related to Lucky South 99 but was instead for a company called "Whirlwind Corp."
Tengco, however, contradicted this account, stating that the meeting was indeed about Lucky South 99.
