Former Presidential Spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque, who is currently in The Hague, announced on Monday that he is set to file an asylum application in the Netherlands while rejecting accusations that he is a fugitive.
"I cannot come home. I have to defend my President as a member of the list of counsel of the ICC at The Hague," Roque said in a virtual press conference.
Roque mentioned that he would be submitting his application later in the day after attending a meeting, stating that there is a full procedure he must comply with before his request can be granted.
Once his application is granted, Roque noted that he will be granted non-deportation rights at least until the investigation into former President Rodrigo Duterte is completed, for whom he will serve as legal counsel.
Moreover, he will also be granted non-prosecution for illegal entry. However, he clarified that his entry into the Netherlands was legal, as he holds a valid visa.
The lawyer faces an arrest warrant issued by the House of Representatives for skipping an inquiry into Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country and for failing to provide the documents requested by the Quad-Committee.
Meanwhile, he noted that his petition is pending with the Supreme Court, seeking to declare the House investigation unconstitutional and asserting that the request for documents from him has no legal basis.
"Paulit-ulit ko namang sinasabi, hindi ko tinatakasan ‘yan. Inaasahan ko naman na magde-desisyon ang Korte Suprema at susunod tayo sa desisyon ng Korte Suprema," said Roque.
"Fake news po ang sinasabi nilang pugante ako dahil ang pugante ay tumatakas sa isang arrest warrant na inisyu ng isang hukuman," he added.
In addition, he reiterated that the arrest warrant issued by Congress is solely for a resource person to attend a meeting, emphasizing that he has not committed any crime that would justify the issuance of the warrant against him.
"Pero naniniwala ako na ‘yang warrant of arrest ng Kamara de Representantes na ‘huwad’ committee ay magpapatunay ng unjust prosecution," he added.
Apart from the outstanding warrant from the House of Representatives, he is also facing non-bailable charges of qualified trafficking due to his name being linked to the POGO raid in Porac, Pampanga.
