Writer leads petition vs Roque asylum bid
A Filipino-Dutch writer is leading a campaign to block the asylum request of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in the Netherlands, pointing out the latter’s “deceptive strategy” to “avoid” his charges in the Philippines.
Joel Vega, a Dutch citizen, multi-awarded writer, poet and journalist, wrote the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service to express his opposition to the request filed by Roque on March 20. He also initiated an online signature campaign via Change.org.
Also that day, lawmakers in the Philippines called on the Department of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with Dutch authorities in blocking Roque’s asylum request in order to force him to return home.
In his letter, a modified Dutch version of which was also sent to Dutch daily newspaper Volkskrant, Vega said Roque’s reason of supposed political persecution has “no well-founded reasons.”
“In fact, as the spokesperson of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Mr. Roque is affiliated with dominant political parties and forces of the Dutertes, [who] still remain in power and, up to this day, are highly influential in Philippine politics,” Vega wrote.
He also cited the investigations into Roque’s alleged links with Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), which the Philippine government recently outlawed, saying that the asylum request was only a “deceptive strategy.”
“By successfully evading a joint congressional hearing on Pogo issues last year, Mr. Roque showed willful disregard [of] truth-seeking and a gross disrespect for Philippine laws,” Vega said.
He also said that approving Roque’s asylum request would “in effect” make Dutch institutions a “party” in disregarding the probe against his supposed links to Pogos.
“Aside from his real intentions to disregard Philippine laws and Dutch provisions on valid asylum procedures, Mr. Roque is using to his own advantage asylum benefits, and depriving eligible asylum seekers of the same facilities and provisions,” Vega noted.
Signature campaign
Apart from the letter, Vega on Saturday initiated an online signature campaign with the same intent—to block Roque’s bid for asylum in the Netherlands.
As of Sunday afternoon, the online petition at Change.org has already gathered a total of 12,558 verified signatures.
“Expectedly, the anti-petition and ‘haters’ will throw demeaning comments, pseudo counterclaims and even intimidate and threaten with complex legalese and actions,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday (Manila time).
“The Dutch government accepts all views and a petition is an exercise and proof of that liberal environment. We stand on solid ground,” he said.
Vega authored the poetry collections “Leviathan Days: Three Suites” and “Drift.”
He also won in the poetry category of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Literary Awards in 2010 and in the essay category in 2016.
Roque, a lawyer accredited by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, earlier expressed his intention to represent the former president who is detained by the international tribunal for the consolidated charge of crimes against humanity of murder.
However, Vice President Sara Duterte had since announced that her father’s legal team would be composed of foreigners.
