MANILA -- The Department of Foreign Affairs said it is ready to disprove Roque’s claims of political persecution should the Dutch government ask for the Philippine government's comment on the former Presidential spokesperson’s bid to seek asylum in the Netherlands. 

DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega in a televised briefing explained that while the decision to grant asylum to Roque lies solely with the government of the Netherlands, Philippine authorities are ready to prove that there is no basis to grant the request.

“Kasi ang magdeidecide diyan ang Netherlands. Pero kung tinanong ang opinion ng Philippine government, siyempre palalabasin natin na may kaso at hindi sya politically oppressed,” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said in a televised briefing.

“So yan ang ating posisyon diyan, kung maghingi ng paliwanag ang Dutch government bago magdesidido dyan, kailangan nating sabihin na demokrasya ang Pilipinas. Hindi totoo ang may political prisoner or that may mga oppressed,” he continued.

“Pero si Atty. Roque, nandun tapos sasabihing political prisoner, eh meron tayong eleksyon sa Mayo. Pwedeng lumabas doon ang mga oposisyon. So papaliwanag natin ang posisyon natin. Pero yung harang, hindi natin mahaharang yan kung yan ang desisyon ng Netherlands. Naalala niyo si Sison, halimbawa, o binigyan ng asylum doon.”

De Vega also explained the government’s decision to turn over the former President to the ICC.

“By the way, ipapaliwanag ko, si Presidente Duterte, ipinadala natin doon dahil obligasyon natin yan, at hindi dahil hinahatol natin. Hindi natin sinasabi na guilty si Duterte. Ang sinasabi natin, okay, may layunin tayong iturn-over, hahatulin pa yan ng ICC, hindi pa sya napatunayang guilty,” he said.

As DFA Undersecretary, De Vega revealed he authorized the Philippine embassy at the Hague to provide assistance to Duterte and his entourage.

“Ako mismo bilang Usec for migration affairs, nag-authorize ako sa Philippine embassy  sa the Hague na bigyan ng assistance si President at sa kanyang entourage, so binibigyan ng mga sweater, ng mga jacket, ganyan ganyan. Pero sila yung nagbabayad ng mga abogado nila, syempre kaya nila yon,” he said.

Online petition, formal letter seek to block Roque bid for asylum in the Netherlands

POGO LINKS 

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said last year it can no longer discount the possibility that Roque was involved in the illegal gambling operations in Pampanga and Tarlac

Roque's alleged ties to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) first surfaced when the PAOCC found his aide's appointment papers as Executive Assistant III under Roque's office dated Oct. 5, 2021 in a raid on the Lucky South 99 compound in Porac, Pampanga.

The raid also yielded an endorsement letter signed by Roque, saying that he would cover the cost of his aide's trips to Italy, Poland and Ukraine in October 2023.

The former Palace spokesperson was also the supposed head of the legal department of Lucky South 99 Outsourcing Inc, a syndicate which authorities said were disguising as a POGO, a document presented before the Senate showed.

"I would like to give deference to a former Cabinet official… We want to give him the benefit of the doubt," PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said in a press conference. "But we cannot discount his possible involvement in all of these matters. I do not believe in coincidences anymore in terms of Harry Roque," he said.