A judge in the Philippines has ordered the immediate release of Gregor Haas, the father of South Sydney Rabbitohs’ blockbuster signing Payne Haas, nearly two years after his arrest over alleged drug offences in Indonesia.
But the 47-year-old Australian man remains locked up in diabolical conditions at a detention facility near Manila, with immigration officials there yet to follow through on a new court ruling directing them to set him free.
In a judgment seen by this masthead, the Philippine Court of Appeals in Manila determined that Haas’ indefinite detention was “illegal” and violated his basic constitutional rights as a dual citizen of the Philippines.
Justice Consejo M Gengos-Ignalaga instructed the Philippine Bureau of Immigration to immediately release Haas.
He has vehemently denied claims of drug smuggling brought against him by Indonesian authorities, who want to have him extradited to Jakarta.
The judge said that while Haas’ May 2024 arrest in Cebu City was carried out properly, he had been detained without being charged beyond a reasonable time frame.
In the meantime, Interpol cancelled an international red notice against Haas last June.
“Worse, for almost two years from the arrest on May 14, 2024, no deportation proceedings have been commenced,” Justice Gengos-Ignalaga said in his February 5 decision.
“The latest update from the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia was a letter sent to the Bureau [of Immigration] on August 19, 2025, stating that the government of Indonesia is now processing the extradition of Gregor to Indonesia. However, there is no record to date showing that the said extradition proceeding has already
been commenced.
“Moreover, the August 19, 2025 letter came after Interpol had already lifted the red notice against Gregor. Notwithstanding these developments, Gregor is left in continued confinement, in violation of his basic constitutional right to liberty.”
The judge ruled that “based on the evidence on record, Gregor is a natural-born Filipino citizen, which confirms the findings that his detention is illegal”.
Haas, a father of nine, was recognised by a court as a Philippine citizen in December 2024 after his mother Soledad Tolentino Haas produced documentation showing she was born in the country and he took an oath of allegiance to the Philippines.
A judge also ordered that he be released at that time, but the Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines mounted an appeal.
It was dismissed last week by Justice Gengos-Ignalaga, who told immigration officials to inform the court within five days that his order had been followed.
It was a significant legal victory for Haas, but more than a week after the judgment was handed down, he is still in custody.
“Some of the country’s highest courts have considered the case of Haas. All have determined Haas must be released,” said his lawyer Abdul Reslan.
“Haas remains an innocent man languishing in dire conditions, with no evidence offered in support of the allegations.”
The latest judgment, in the Philippines’ second-highest court, was made just days before it was announced that his son Payne, the leading front-rower in the National Rugby League, would be joining Souths from the Brisbane Broncos next year.
The Sydney club’s acquisition of the 26-year-old has dominated sports headlines this week and was of such significance that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a diehard Rabbitohs supporter, phoned him to welcome him to the team.
The news would also likely have pleased the NSW State of Origin star’s incarcerated father, himself a Souths fan, although an end date to his dire predicament has remained unknown.
This masthead was told that Philippine immigration authorities had 15 days from the court order to submit a motion for reconsideration or to file an appeal, a timeline that could be extended to 30 days.
The only court to which an appeal could be lodged is the Supreme Court in Manila, but it is principally an arena to settle questions of law.
International relations between Australia, the Philippines and Indonesia – and the spectre of capital punishment – have provided additional layers to Haas’ case.
The Albanese government regards both South-East Asian nations as important diplomatic partners in the region and has approached the matter carefully as Indonesia pressured the Philippines to hand Haas over.
Contacted about the new court order, a spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was “providing consular assistance to an Australian man detained in the Philippines”.
“Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment,” the spokesperson said.
Haas was accused of shipping five kilograms of methamphetamine from Mexico to Indonesia concealed in ceramic tiles, an amount that would be enough for him to receive a death sentence if he were put on trial and found guilty.
He has firmly rejected the claims against him, including alleged connections with Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, saying he had never visited Mexico and that his arrest stemmed from a business dispute in Indonesia about a resort.
Indonesia in 2024 promised not to invoke the death penalty if Haas was charged and convicted, but there has been a change in the presidency in the country since then.
As is the case under Australian law, the Philippines’ extradition agreements prevent people from being sent to jurisdictions where they could face execution.
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Chris Barrett is an investigative reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. He is a former South-East Asia correspondent, and chief sports reporter.Connect via X or email.