An online petition urging the Netherlands’ Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) to reject the asylum bid of lawyer Harry Roque has gained several thousand signatures.
Joel Vega, a Dutch citizen born in the Philippines, posted the petition after filing a formal letter urging the agency to deny the request of the spokesperson of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
His online petition titled “Block Harry Roque’s Asylum Move to The Netherlands,” has received over 2,500 signatures from Filipinos worldwide.
In a public post, Vega argued that Roque had no grounds to claim political persecution.
“Roque is deeply embedded within the Duterte political circle, which remains highly influential in Philippine politics,” wrote Vega. “There is no credible threat to his life or freedom—only an attempt to escape scrutiny.”
The petition accuses Roque of hiding in the United Arab Emirates before appearing in the Netherlands to serve, allegedly, as legal counsel to Duterte who is facing charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
Vice President Sara Duterte however has announced that Roque and former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea will no longer be part of the defense team of the former president.
“Roque does not meet the requirements for asylum in the Netherlands,” the petition states. “He is not a victim. He is misusing the Dutch system to evade justice—justice tied to serious allegations of corruption, human trafficking, and his role in defending state-led killings during Duterte’s drug war.”
Roque has maintained his refusal to comply with the subpoena issued by the House of Representative is not a legal offense.
“I am evading a legislative subpoena, not a court order,” he said. He also cited international asylum protections, claiming that non-refoulement protects him from deportation while his application is under review.
The warrant for Roque’s arrest was issued by the House after his repeated failure to appear at hearings on the controversial Lucky South 99 POGO hub, which is under investigation for human trafficking, illegal employment, and financial crimes.