MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang acknowledged on Wednesday that Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla might have made an error in his recent comments regarding the asylum application of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in Austria.
Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro indicated that while Remulla could face accountability for sharing inaccurate details, officials must first evaluate the context and intent behind his statements.
Castro noted that authorities need to clarify whether the Interior chief’s remarks stemmed from an intentional attempt to mislead, bad faith, or merely an unintended oversight.
“Sa ngayon po, kung kanya po itong nabanggit at kung ano ang pinanggalingan ng kanyang sinabi, doon naman po tayo babase kung may fake news ba, intensyon ba, nagkamali ba,” Castro said during a Palace briefing.
The statement came after media inquiries on whether the Presidential Communications Office had reached out to Remulla, given the administration’s ongoing initiatives to combat misinformation.
“Kung inamin naman po niyang siya ay nagkamali at hindi naman ipinapalagay na ito’y sinadya para ilihis ang kaisipan ng ating mga kababayan, maaaring ma-call out ang mga sinabing ito ng Secretary Jonvic,” she added.
Castro further pointed out that Remulla had already acknowledged lacking concrete proof to support his earlier claim that Roque’s asylum request was “in limbo” or pending decision by Austrian officials.
Roque, who served as mouthpiece for former President Rodrigo Duterte, is currently facing qualified human trafficking charges connected to the Lucky South 99 Corporation, a Philippine offshore gaming operator hub located in Porac, Pampanga.
A Pampanga court issued a warrant for his arrest in May 2025 alongside several co-respondents.
In addition to the trafficking case, the Bureau of Internal Revenue lodged a criminal complaint in April 2026 against Roque, his wife Mylah, and a business associate over alleged tax violations involving Biancham Holdings and Trading, Inc., involving an estimated ₱3.35 billion tax deficiency.