Atty. Harry Roque, former Spokesperson for former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, vehemently denied that his asylum application had been denied.
Atty. Roque labeled the statement from Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla regarding his application as “fake news.”
Earlier this morning, Secretary Remulla himself confirmed that the former presidential spokesperson’s asylum application in Austria had been rejected.
According to Secretary Remulla, this was because the application had expired or had exceeded 5 months before a resolution or decision could be made.
Consequently, if INTERPOL or the International Criminal Police Organization had issued a “red notice,” the Philippine state could potentially apprehend and repatriate him.
Nevertheless, the Secretary stated he would first revisit the “red notice” issue to verify and confirm if INTERPOL had indeed issued one.
In connection with this, Atty. Harry Roque emphasized that Austria does not follow such a “rule” or regulation.
He asserted that it is not true that an application automatically leads to “denial” or rejection if the process extends beyond 6 months.
According to the lawyer, his asylum application in Austria is currently in the “submitted for resolution” stage, awaiting the decision of the authorities.
He stated he would continue to await the official decision regarding his application, as only Austrian Authorities can confirm whether it has been granted or rejected.
Therefore, any information claiming his asylum application has been “denied” that does not originate from the country’s authorities is considered untrue and “misleading.”
He urged public officials to verify information before sharing statements that fall under the jurisdiction of other countries.
He reminded the public to be cautious about spreading “fake news,” even if it originates from government officials.
Harry Roque is currently facing charges of “qualified human trafficking” related to alleged Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations in Pampanga.