MANILA, Philippines — Following former presidential spokesperson Atty. Herminio 'Harry' Roque Jr.'s disclosure of his plan to seek political asylum in the Netherlands, rights watchdog Karapatan urged the Dutch government to reject Roque’s request because it would be a grave injustice for the victims of the previous administration's bloody drug war since the former Palace official is privy to his former boss's abuses.

Karapatan issued the statement opposing Roque's plan to ask Dutch authorities to provide him asylum even as it stressed that the move is obviously his way of “evading full accountability” over involvement in iregularities while he was still the spokesperson of then President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (FPRRD), particularly his alleged ties to the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO).

“We call on the Dutch government to immediately reject Roque’s application (for asylum),” Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay enthused.

“Genuine asylum seekers are people facing violations of their rights from their home countries. Roque is more notoriously known as an opportunist accomplice of human rights violators like Duterte and thus should not be eligible for asylum in the Netherlands and anywhere else outside the Philippines,” Palabay pointed out.

Roque has been listed as a recognized legal counselor by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and named as one of Duterte’s defense lawyers in the complaint of crimes against humanity filed againstvthe ex-president before the international tribunal.

Aside from opposing Roque's asylum plans, Karapatan also called on the Canadian government to disallow the stay of former Philippine National Police (PNP) officer Josue Limmong Ahuday and National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) agent Jeffrey Celiz in their country.

According to Palabay, Ahuday was among the officers who reportedly played a role in the Duterte administration’s drug war, while Celiz was a “redtagger” who “repeatedly endangered activists and dissenters.”