The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) clarified that the circulating photo of Philippine Ambassador to Austria and Slovakia Luli Arroyo-Bernas with former presidential spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque was taken back in 2023.
It can be recalled that in a vlog, Malacañang Press Officer Claire Castro warned Arroyo-Bernas against allegedly helping Roque.
Castro said some may think that the ambassador was assisting the former presidential spokesperson.
This comes amid Roque’s request for asylum in the said country.
The issue has also reportedly taken on political overtones, as Arroyo-Bernas is an Arroyo, and her mother, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has been seen in recent hearings defending Vice President Sara Duterte.
In Malacañang, Castro emphasized that the photo dates back to 2023, and that since then, Roque has not visited the ambassador again.
