This is what the DOJ said about the arrest of Harry Roque on Friday, May 16.
HARRY ROQUE ARREST – The arrest of the former presidential spokesperson is “prosecution, not persecution,” according to DOJ.
A Pampanga regional trial court (RTC) has issued the arrest warrants against former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, businesswoman Cassandra Ong, and others. This is related to alleged human trafficking in relation to Lucky South 99 Corp., a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Porac.
| April 2025)
Angeles RTC Presiding Judge Rene Reyes stated in the order that the offenses are non-bailable. The court found probable cause against the accused for violations under the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022.
The raided hub in Porac has workers, including Chinese nationals, who claimed they were kidnapped, held against their will, and forced to work.
Roque is currently in The Hague, where former president Rodrigo Duterte was detained by the International Criminal Court. He left the Philippines in September after the House of Representatives cited him for contempt after refusing to attend hearings related to POGOs.
According to Roque, his arrest warrant was “unjust persecution.”
Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson Mico Clavano reacted to this and pronounced that Roque’s arrest is an example of “prosecution, not persecution.”
There’s a legitimate case versus Roque, and the DOJ has a panel of prosecutors who analyzed the evidence. Hence, this is an example of the prosecution of a person involved in a crime.
“So we should look at this as an opportunity, as a venue, as a channel where he can explain his side, submit his evidence, present his defenses, and let the court decide whether a person is guilty or innocent,” the DOJ spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, in a previous article, the DOJ mulls over Interpol’s assistance in serving the arrest of Roque.
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