PNP mulls Interpol's help to arrest Harry Roque

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MANILA, Philippines — With Harry Roque seeking political asylum in the Netherlands, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it may seek the International Criminal Police Organization’s (Interpol) help to serve the arrest warrant against him.

At a press briefing on Friday, May 16, PNP Public Information Office Chief Colonel Randulf Tuaño said coordination with the Interpol is being considered in the case of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

Tuaño also said that the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) would work with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to trace the whereabouts of Cassandra Ong, an incorporator of Whirlwind Corp, in case she has left the country.

Roque, Ong and 48 others are facing non-bailable human trafficking charges for allegedly conspiring in the criminal activities linked to Lucky South 99, a now-defunct Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO).

The Regional Trial Court Branch 118 in Angeles City issued an arrest warrant against them on May 8 after finding probable cause for the charges.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) also said on Friday that the government may tap diplomatic channels to secure Roque and Ong’s return to the Philippines.

“Kung nasa ibang bansa po siya, we will have to go through diplomatic channels to be able to get her person back here to the Philippines to finally face her charges,” DOJ Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano said.

(If she is in another country, we will have to go through diplomatic channels to bring her back to the Philippines to finally face her charges.)

According to Clavano, the Philippine government has two main options: it can either engage directly with the government where the accused is located or seek assistance from international organizations, including Interpol.

He said the same applies to Roque, who has publicly shared that he is abroad in the Netherlands, where he is still applying for political asylum.

Warrant as proof of persecution?

Roque claims he is being persecuted in the country and intends to use the recently issued arrest warrant as evidence to support his case for amnesty. He also said that he has the right to non-refoulement as an asylum seeker, which means he can't be deported until the application is resolved.

However, Clavano said that it will ultimately depend on the Netherlands government’s interpretation of whether the arrest warrant constitutes valid proof of persecution.

“Ang sa amin naman po, marami po kasing ibang akusado diyan. Hindi natin siya sine-single out,” he said. (As far as we're concerned, there are many others accused in this case. We're not singling him out.)

Clavano clarified that Roque is just one of many individuals involved in the case and that DOJ prosecutors found sufficient evidence to file charges in court.

He stressed that it was the court that also determined there was probable cause to issue the arrest warrant.

What about POGOs?

The issues surrounding POGOs have been ongoing since 2023, when the Senate began investigating the illegal operations reported by authorities.

These include allegations of human trafficking, corruption, scams, prostitution, and espionage, with many hubs linked to Chinese nationals.

It was later investigated by the House Quad Committee, where both Roque and Ong appeared as resource persons. They were both cited for contempt after lawmakers accused them of lying or evading questions and were subsequently detained.

However, Roque has since fled from authorities after the House issued second contempt and detention orders. He was first seen by the media when former President Rodrigo Duterte was transferred to The Hague, Netherlands in March.

The Quad Comm has already filed bills criminalizing POGOs and how foreign nationals involved in such operations should be held accountable.

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