DILG chief: PH can request Roque repatriation if asylum bid denied

The Philippines can request the repatriation of former Palace spokesperson and lawyer Harry Roque if his application for asylum is denied, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said on Wednesday.

“Pero tingin ko, ma-deny rin yun. Basta ma-deny yan, puwede na namin siyang i-request for repatriation, papuntang Pilipinas,” Remulla told GTV’s Balitanghali in an interview.

(But I think it will be denied. As long as it is denied, we can request for him to be repatriated to the Philippines.)

Earlier, the Philippine government requested an Interpol red notice for Roque and other personalities facing qualified human trafficking charges in relation to the alleged illegal activities of Lucky South 99, a Philippine offshore gaming operator.

Roque has repeatedly denied the allegations as fabricated and politically motivated. In March, the former spokesperson of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte said he applied for asylum in The Netherlands.

Because Roque entered Europe using a Schengen visa issued by Austria, he said Dutch authorities told him it is Austria that must decide on his asylum petition.

Under the Dublin rules, the country that issued a person’s visa is usually responsible for handling their asylum application.

Roque noted that even though Austria issued his visa, his intended destination has always been The Hague in The Netherlands.

Under the EU’s Dublin Regulation, only one member country should process an asylum request. This is usually the country where the person first entered Europe, where they were registered, or the country that gave them a visa or residence permit. — JMA, GMA Integrated News