Brisbane Broncos star Payne Haas' father Gregor Haas may avoid extradition to Indonesia, where public lobbying for a death sentence awaits, after Judge Antonio M. Olivete revealed Haas is a citizen of the Philippines.

Haas was allegedly involved in trafficking five kilograms of methamphetamine from Guadalajara, Mexico to Jakarta, Indonesia in December 2023. The drugs, hidden in ceramic tiles, were allegedly connected to the Sinaloa drug cartel.

The quantity of the illicit substance is enough to qualify Haas for the death penalty in Indonesia, and while the head of Indonesia's narcotics agency, Marthinus Hukom, promised Australian consultants Haas would not face such a punishment, Haas and his legal team are sceptical over the suggestion, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

Haas has vehemently denied all allegations, and seemingly won freedom from the Filipino immigration detention camp on December 16 after a successful court order went in his favour.

However, Haas remains in the unhygienic Manila-based detention facility 'Camp Bagong', without explanation or pending charge.

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However, the publication reports that a "secret and successful" attempt to recognise Haas as a Filipino citizen has been granted.

It renders the Philippines government less likely to deport Haas to a foreign country to face extreme sentencing.

The government was previously torn on whether to extradite Haas to Indonesia due to the intense public lobbying, or back home to Australia, where he has nine offspring, including Payne Haas, while some others are school-aged.

The shock outcome came after Haas' mother Soledad Tolentino Haas produced her birth certificate and passport to prove her nationality. The court order noted that under "the 1973 constitution which provides Filipino citizenship to those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines,โ€ Haas is eligible for a Filipino citizenship despite being born in Switzerland.

Haas had travelled to the Philippines on a tourist visa in 2023, however, was unaware of his qualifications for the dual-citizenship with Australia.

But after clarification on the matter, the debate has evidently been resolved, with Haas' citizenship now upstanding in the Philippines.

The development leaves the Philippines government torn, however, as Indonesia provided their most wanted female fugitive in former mayor Alice Guo almost immediately after her capture in the archipelago country.

The Indonesian government hoped Haas would be extradited in return, however, no deal as such eventuated.

Haas remains in Manila, with the Philippines government's decision on where to extradite the father of Payne still undecided.

Payne's mother Uiatu "Joan" Taufua is also facing sentencing over manslaughter charges, after killing three people in a drunk driving collision in 2022.

She faced court in November last year, however, the case was deferred to the Supreme Court, set to be mentioned at Southport Magistrates Court in June this year.