Roque: No more need for me to hide

MANILA, Philippines — Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that there is no need for him to hide over the threat of possible deportation following his application for asylum at The Hague, Netherlands.

“I am now a bonafide asylum seeker. I cannot be deported to the Philippines until my application is done and the process of my application takes about 1.5 years,” Roque said.

Roque said that he will remain in the Netherlands while his application is being processed.

“I will stay here for the meantime. There is no need for me to hide anymore. As a matter of fact, when I signed my asylum application, I really wept. For the first time in six and a half months, I didn’t need to hide,” he added.

In a text message to The STAR, Roque also belittled an online petition seeking to block his asylum bid.

The petition, initiated by Filipino-Dutch author Joel Vega, urges the Immigration and Naturalization Service of the Netherlands to deny Roque’s asylum bid. It alleged that Roque was “misusing the Dutch system” to evade ongoing investigations against him in the Philippines.

“The asylum (application) is not subject to voting. (Its) proof of political persecution, which is obvious. (We) will prove that here,” Roque added.

Roque, who is facing an arrest warrant for failing to appear before the House quad committee, earlier said he will apply for asylum as he is a victim of “political persecution.” The petitioners disputed Roque’s claim.

Vega, a Dutch citizen and natural-born Filipino, earlier publicized his letter to the director-general of the Netherlands’ Immigration and Naturalization Service, seeking to block Roque’s asylum bid.