Roque faces arrest if passport revoked

Once former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s passport is revoked and he becomes an undocumented alien in Europe, seeking his extradition to the Philippines may not be necessary.

In an interview on Wednesday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla revealed that Roque, who had applied for asylum in the Netherlands, was denied refugee status and was now reportedly in Germany.

Remulla said the government is closely monitoring developments and is prepared to act when the opportunity arises.

“We can file for extradition when the time comes, but that might not be necessary, especially if his passport gets revoked,” Remulla said. “If he becomes undocumented, we can act on that.”

He said it was unclear if Roque’s passport had been canceled. “There hasn’t been a formal cancellation yet,” he said, adding that the authorities are verifying the status of Roque’s travel documents.

Despite the lack of active legal proceedings in Europe, Roque can still travel within the Schengen zone due to the EU’s open-border policy.

“In the European Union, as long as you have a visa, the borders are open,” Remulla said.

He added that if Roque eventually becomes undocumented, that’s when the authorities will pursue him across the EU.