Former presidential spokesperson Atty. Herminio “Harry” L. Roque Jr. has again pushed back against Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, denying claims that his application for asylum in Austria has been denied.
In a press release posted on Facebook, Roque said Remulla has repeatedly asserted that his Austrian asylum bid was rejected — a statement Roque flatly branded “fake news.” According to Roque, the interior secretary’s position rests on the notion that his application should be considered denied because it was supposedly not acted upon within six months. Roque countered that no such rule exists, saying the mere passage of six months does not automatically convert into a denial.
“My application for asylum has been submitted for resolution, and I continue to await the official decision of the competent Austrian asylum authorities,” Roque said. Until Austrian authorities themselves issue a ruling, he maintained, any claim that his bid has already failed is “false and misleading.” He closed with a pointed warning: “Beware of fake news — even when it comes from government officials.”
The exchange is the latest in a protracted, cross-continental standoff. Roque faces qualified human trafficking charges in the Philippines over his alleged links to Lucky South 99, a Philippine offshore gaming operator tied to a raided POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga. The Angeles City Regional Trial Court issued an arrest warrant against him in 2025, and Philippine authorities have sought an Interpol Red Notice to facilitate his return.
Roque’s asylum saga has moved across several European jurisdictions. He first applied for asylum in the Netherlands in March 2025, but Dutch authorities referred his application to Austria under the European Union’s Dublin Regulation, since it was Austria that issued his Schengen visa. Under those rules, the country that issued a person’s visa is generally responsible for deciding their asylum petition.
Remulla, for his part, has publicly stated on multiple occasions that Roque’s bids have failed. In July 2026, the interior secretary said the asylum application in Austria had been rejected and that authorities were waiting on the Interpol Red Notice to bring Roque home “at the shortest time possible.” As recently as this month, Remulla reiterated in a briefing that the asylum matter was settled and that Roque would be retrieved once a Red Notice is issued.
Roque, a practicing lawyer, has consistently characterized the charges against him as “political persecution” and a “travesty of justice,” and has argued that Philippine officials have no authority to arrest him on Austrian soil. As of this writing, no independent confirmation of a final ruling by Austrian asylum authorities has been made public.
