ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Palace, Panelo reject Roque's political persecution claim

Palace, Panelo reject Roque's political persecution claim

Published May 16, 2025 12:23 pm  |  Updated May 16, 2025 01:10 pm

At A Glance

  • Castro said the Department of Justice (DOJ) may coordinate with Interpol if necessary, but emphasized that Roque's claim of political harassment must be backed by proof to prevent extradition.
Malacañang has dismissed former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s assertion that he is a victim of political persecution, saying Roque has yet to address key issues tied to a human trafficking complaint filed against him.

Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro (RTVM), Lawyer Harry Roque (Facebook), Lawyer Salvador Panelo (PCO)

Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said this after a regional trial court in Angeles, Pampanga, issued an arrest warrant against Roque and 10 others for alleged human trafficking in relation to a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Pampanga.

In her press briefing on Friday, May 16, the Palace Press Officer said Roque's reaction to his arrest order was expected.

"'Yan po naman talaga ang kanyang naratibo, kanyang depensa. Pero hindi po niya sinasagot nang mabuti kung nasaan nga ba ang mga dokumentong kanyang ipinangako (That’s his narrative, his defense. But he has yet to properly address the documents he promised to present)," she said.

Castro said it was the court — not the executive branch — that issued a valid arrest warrant against Roque over a qualified human trafficking case, noting that he also faces a pending land-grabbing complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman.

“Paano po kayang magkakaroon ng political persecution (How can this be called political persecution)?" she wondered.

Former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo also rejected Roque’s claim, saying the charges stem from the latter's own statements during a congressional hearing.

"Marami siyang contradiction at inconsistencies… kaya siya nademanda, eh. Galing mismo sa kanya (He had many contradictions and inconsistencies… that’s why he was charged. It came from him)," Panelo told One News on Friday.

"No, I do not think Harry Roque is being politically persecuted. Kung ako sa kaniya, abogado naman siya, harapin niya (If I were him—he’s a lawyer—he should face it)," he added.

Meanwhile, in her press briefing, Castro said the Department of Justice (DOJ) may coordinate with Interpol if necessary, but emphasized that Roque’s claim of political harassment must be backed by proof to prevent extradition.

"Kung wala po siyang mapapakitang harassment… hindi po siya dapat magtago sa kanyang petition for asylum (If he cannot show harassment, he should not hide behind his asylum petition)," she said.

Roque, who appeared in public for the first time in the Netherlands last month following the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte, said he has started the process of applying for political asylum.

In a Facebook Live broadcast, Roque said he had left The Hague and was in a remote location where he would undergo his first interview. The initial process includes registration, fingerprinting, a police interview, and a medical exam.

Roque claimed that as an asylum seeker, he is now covered by the principle of nonrefoulement, meaning he cannot be deported to a country where he alleges his life or freedom is threatened.

He also clarified that he is not detained and is free to move around.

Related Tags

Claire Castro Harry Roque Salvador Panelo
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.