Duterte ally files for asylum

Common cause: Duterte supporters attending a protest in Helsinki, Finland. — AP

A lawyer for Rodrigo Duter­te who has been speaking for the family since the former Philippine president’s shock arrest and transfer to The Hague has announced plans to file for asylum in the Netherlands.

Harry Roque, who served two stints as Duterte’s presidential spokesman, left the Philippines in September after being cited for contempt for refusing to attend hearings into offshore gambling sites used as fronts for criminal activities.