Harry Roque gets first asylum interview as opposition mounts
Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in The Hague, with Sen. Robin Padilla (partially out of frame). —Photo by Jofelle Tesorio | The Filipino Correspondent Network -Netherlands
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque expressed elation after officially submitting his asylum application to the Immigratie en Naturalisatie Dienst (IND), the Netherlands’ immigration bureau.
“I cried. I was sobbing,” Roque said in Filipino, recalling the moment his application was formally received at Ter Apel, the IND center where all asylum seekers begin their process.
Ter Apel is in the Westerwolde, a municipality in Groningen Province, over 250 kilometers from The Hague. It houses the main reception center of the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA).
Asylum seekers are required to stay at COA facilities after registration while awaiting their first interview and subsequent appointments unless they have alternative accommodations.
Roque registered at Ter Apel on March 19, 2025, and confirmed that he underwent his first interview a few days later.
READ: Online petition vs Roque’s asylum request gets over 21,000 signatures
Months in hiding
The former spokesperson is currently facing human trafficking complaints filed with the Department of Justice, stemming from his alleged involvement in the operations of a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub.
He has gone into hiding after the House of Representatives quad committee issued an arrest order, citing him for contempt and ordering his detention for failing to provide documents justifying his sudden increase in wealth.
After months in hiding, Roque reappeared publicly on March 14, alongside Vice President Sara Duterte and Sen. Robin Padilla, outside the International Criminal Court (ICC) premises.
That was the day former President Rodrigo Duterte first appeared at a pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
While Roque has expressed his commitment to defending Duterte, he is not part of the former president’s ICC legal team, as his asylum bid may pose complications, according to the Vice President Duterte.
Relief from hiding
Roque is now awaiting his second interview, which he described as a lengthy process, potentially taking months or even up to a year and a half.
Reflecting on his journey, Roque shared his relief, saying in Filipino: “No more hiding. That’s when I signed my asylum application I really cried. I was sobbing because this was the first time in six and a half months that I wasn’t hiding from the police.”
Roque emphasized that the formal acknowledgment of his application would ensure his protection under the principle of non-refoulement, which stipulates that no individual should be returned to a country where they face threats of persecution.
Roque addressed Duterte supporters gathered in front of the ICC Detention Centre at Scheveningen, The Hague — more than 250 kilometers from Ter Apel — to celebrate the 80th birthday of the former president.
On March 27, he posted a photo on his Facebook account, saying “back at the Hague” with Vice President Duterte, Senator Padilla, and two others. The photo had the city hall building of The Hague and Amare, a cultural center, as background.
Roque previously explained what would happen once he had filed an application for asylum.
“The mere fact that I applied would give me the right not to be returned to the Philippines — even if they get a warrant of arrest, even if they file for extradition. That’s clearly a matter of convention rights,” he said.
According to Roque, after his first interview for his asylum application with the immigration bureau IND, he can go anywhere.
He said he is currently staying in a dormitory-like facility while waiting for his first interview, adding that he has a roommate from Afghanistan.
“After this very first interview, I can freely return to The Hague because this place is so far. And I am not detained. In fact, I can go out — like now, I just came from the grocery,’ he said earlier, saying it took 30 minutes to walk there and back.
Petition against his asylum bid
Meanwhile, an online petition opposing Roque’s asylum bid is gaining traction, with individual letters addressed to the IND being sent by Filipinos.
Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc in the Philippines are also planning to write to members of the Dutch parliament to express their opposition.
According to ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, they intend to collaborate with the House of Representatives in sending official communication regarding the asylum bid.
Additionally, a Philippine-born Dutch citizen, writer Joel Vega, has launched a signature drive against Roque’s application, arguing that the former Palace official was not a victim of political persecution.
In response to these efforts, Roque emphasized that asylum applications would not be subject to public voting but instead would require evidence of “unjust prosecution.”
He said that he was planning to present the arrest warrant issued by the House quad committee, as well as resolutions from the Department of Justice concerning the human trafficking complaint against him, which is linked to a raid on a Pogo hub.
Avoiding accountability
Lean Jimenez of Bayan-Europe criticized Roque, asserting that he must first address allegations of involvement in Pogo operations and human trafficking.
“Until now, he has been avoiding this. Asylum protection is meant for individuals persecuted by their governments for political activities, allowing them to escape or condemn their government,’ Jimenez argued.
Individuals familiar with the asylum process in the Netherlands have expressed dismay, describing Roque’s application as a travesty of the right to claim asylum in a safe country.
They noted that genuine asylum seekers often avoid publicizing their applications out of fear for their safety. While awaiting decisions, they remain incognito and take on menial jobs, such as apple picking, within the limited hours permitted under the procedure.
Jimenez further criticized Roque’s asylum bid as a convenient tool to evade accountability in the Philippines, urging the Dutch government not to accommodate it.
“Here in the Netherlands, there are many refugees applying for asylum — real refugees affected by wars in the Middle East or activists seeking protection from harassment by their states,” he said.
Eunice de Asis of Migrante-Amsterdam — a migrant worker serving on the group advising Amsterdam City Hall on migrants and the undocumented — also opposed Roque’s, saying that he “does not deserve asylum.”
“Of course, it’s the right of Mr. Roque to apply for asylum if he thinks he has a basis,” Asis said in Filipino.
“But there’s a difference between our view that we have a basis and the reality on the ground. So many asylum seekers have a valid reason for applying, but they were denied for various reasons — because they didn’t know how to navigate the system or they didn’t have a lawyer. They didn’t know how to do it,” she added.
Asis, who also works with different asylum rights organizations, noted that deserving asylum seekers get denied for simple technicalities. And she found it unfair for other asylum seekers who even came here at a very young age.
“Many asylum seekers here started it when they were young and just grew old. So they were never able to go to school to study. Sometimes, they don’t know how to read. And sometimes, they don’t know how to speak Dutch or English. So hey can’t understand the system of applying,” Asis said.
“It would be sad if Mr. Roque would apply and be given a permit to stay as a refugee, and then he would use this system so he need not answer for his obligations legally in the Philippines,” she added.
Asis also questioned the intent of Roque’s asylum bid.
“You can see what Mr. Roque’s real interest is. First, he said he was a counsel of [former President] Duterte. And then later, he said he would apply as a refugee. So did he come here to help Tatay Digs [Duterte]? Or did he come here to apply for asylum?” she said
“So that’s a big question for me. Is his life in danger? Well, he was beside VP Sara and Sen. Robin Padilla — who are part of the government,” she added.
Stricter rules
The current ruling coalition in the Netherlands is pushing for a stricter asylum regime.
Early in March 2025, the Dutch cabinet approved the proposal by Asylum and Migration Minister Marjolein Faber to submit her asylum reform package to the House of Representatives.
Faber, whose party claims that the “asylum crisis” in the Netherlands and Europe must be addressed, said the Dutch people want a fundamental shift in policy direction, reducing the number of asylum seekers entering the country and increasing the returns of those not entitled to stay.
The asylum reform package includes the Asylum Emergency Measures Act and the Dual Status System Act, seen as the strictest asylum policy in Dutch history — if approved.
The Asylum Emergency Measures Act includes provisions to abolish permanent residence permits, reduce asylum permit validity to 3 years, expand the declaration of undesirability, introduce stricter conditions for family reunification, and measures to streamline asylum procedures.
