MANILA, Philippines — The controversy surrounding former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s asylum application in Austria has taken another turn after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it has not received official information confirming whether his application was denied or remains pending.
The clarification comes days after Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla publicly claimed that Roque’s asylum request had been rejected. Roque disputed that claim, saying his application remains under consideration by Austrian authorities.
The DFA’s latest position effectively leaves the status of Roque’s asylum case unresolved from the Philippine government’s perspective.
DFA: No official confirmation from Austria
During Senate deliberations on the DFA budget, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said Philippine diplomatic officials face restrictions in obtaining information about asylum proceedings in European countries because of the privacy and asylum laws of host states.
The restrictions apply to Austria, where Roque is reportedly seeking asylum, as well as France, where former lawmaker Zaldy Co has reportedly sought protection. European governments generally do not disclose details of asylum proceedings to the applicant’s country of origin.
That helps explain why the Philippine government has not been able to independently confirm Remulla’s earlier assertion that Roque’s asylum application was denied.
Remulla says the asylum bid was already denied
On September 15, Remulla said Roque’s asylum request had been denied and suggested that the period for processing the application had already lapsed.
Remulla also said authorities would pursue Roque once an Interpol Red Notice is issued.
But Roque immediately rejected the claim, describing it as “fake news.” He said his asylum application had been submitted for resolution and that he was still waiting for the Austrian asylum office to issue a decision.
Roque also explained that his asylum case was initially filed in the Netherlands before being transferred to Austria.
Why the conflicting claims matter
The disagreement highlights an important distinction: a Philippine official saying an asylum request was denied is not the same as an official confirmation from the country processing the application.
As of the latest DFA statements, there has been no publicly confirmed notification from Austria establishing the final status of Roque’s asylum proceedings. The DFA says diplomatic and legal channels remain available, but access to information about individual asylum cases is constrained by the laws of the host country.
Meanwhile, Roque remains the subject of criminal proceedings in the Philippines.
He faces qualified human trafficking charges linked to the alleged Lucky South 99 Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub in Porac, Pampanga. An Angeles City court issued an arrest warrant in 2025. Roque has denied the allegations and has characterized the cases against him as politically motivated.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue has also filed a tax-related criminal complaint involving Roque, his wife and an associate, according to the Philippine News Agency.
The key question now
For now, the public record contains two competing accounts: Remulla maintains that Roque’s asylum bid has been denied, while Roque says the application remains pending. The DFA, meanwhile, says it has no official information from Austria confirming the status.
That means the next significant development could come not from another Philippine statement, but from official information from Austrian authorities or a legally recognized development involving Roque’s asylum case.
Until such confirmation emerges, the precise status of Roque’s asylum application remains unclear.
