Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Monday that he would be going on a trip to France in coming days in order to discuss matters concerning politicians seeking political asylum despite having pending criminal cases in the Philippines.

“I will be going to France in the coming days, I will talk to French authorities because France can not be the hiding spot of plunderers,” Remulla told reporters during a press briefing.

The Ombudsman’s sentiments stemmed from reports that former congressman Zaldy Co and Senator Loren Legarda were reportedly in the European nation and seeking legal protection.

Co is currently facing multiple criminal charges related to the multibillion peso flood control scandal while Legarda along with her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste has a plunder and graft case undergoing preliminary investigation at the anti-graft body.

While the reports surrounding Legarda seeking political asylum remain unverified, various senators have stated that Legarda sought for a medical leave as she was currently facing a lung-related medical condition.

Amid the allegations, Legarda maintained that the accusations were mere attempts to taint her legacy as a public official that has spanned over two decades.

“I have served our country with utmost dedication and integrity for more than three decades. I will not allow baseless accusations to trample on my unblemished record of public service,” she said in a statement last 18 August.

“I urge the public to be discerning, especially in light of the timing and nature of these false allegations. I remain confident that once the facts come out, we will be vindicated,” she added.

Stopping the trend

Remulla, however, explained that his visit to France would be a means to stop an apparent trend that they had noticed when it came to officials facing complaints at their office.

He clarified that he was not necessarily out to warn foreign authorities, but that he was simply going to communicate how the people seeking the legal protection were stealing public funds.

“We don’t warn, but we will tell them that it’s not good to have the reputation of being the hiding place of ill-gotten wealth. Those stolen from people who could have used the money to improve the lives of those in need,” he said.

Remulla would note that they had no concrete information whether the two public figures were in fact seeking political asylum but noted that it was a possibility given that the country was “very liberal.”

‘Form of international protection’

Based on the United Nations (UN) Refugee Agency, seeking “asylum” in a foreign country offers people protection who fear that they would be harmed if they returned to their country of origin.

Such circumstances that were particularly cited were harm related to “race, religion, nationality, political opinions, or your membership of a particular social group.”

When it comes to France, the UN noted that French authorities were responsible for processing asylum applications and solely decides on who will be granted the protection.

Once an application is submitted to the country, a particular individual would be granted with specific procedural safeguards, legal protections and reception conditions under the Dublin III Regulation.