Boying to Roque: Be a Filipino, drop asylum bid

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla challenged lawyer Harry Roque to return to the Philippines instead of seeking asylum in the Netherlands.

“He should face the charges against him and be a Filipino,” Remulla said, criticizing Roque’s involvement in the crimes against humanity case against former president Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“Actually, he is a non-entity in this drama — he is just trying to put himself in the picture,” Remulla added.

When asked if Roque’s passport could be revoked, Remulla stated that this would only be possible if a formal case was filed against him in court.

Roque, who twice served as Duterte’s presidential spokesperson, left the Philippines in September after being cited for contempt for refusing to attend congressional hearings on offshore gambling sites allegedly used as fronts for criminal activity.

However, he re-emerged last week alongside Duterte after the former president was flown to the ICC to face crimes against humanity charges linked to his deadly war on drugs.

In a Facebook live briefing, Roque announced, "I'm formally filing for asylum here in the Netherlands," claiming political persecution through what he described as unjust prosecution related to the congressional contempt citation.

Roque, one of five Philippine lawyers listed as eligible to represent defendants at the ICC, had expected to be part of Duterte’s defense team. However, Vice President Sara Duterte clarified that the team would be composed of foreign lawyers, excluding any Filipinos.

She confirmed that veteran international lawyer Nicholas Kaufman had joined her father’s legal defense. Kaufman has previously represented high-profile clients at The Hague, including former Congolese rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba and Aisha Kadhafi, daughter of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.