dailypedia
Following reports that former presidential spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque is facing a warrant of arrest for qualified human trafficking related to a POGO operation in Pampanga, progressive party-list Akbayan issued a bold call for his return to the Philippines.
In a post on Facebook last May 20, Akbayan quipped: “Uwi ka na, galit na kami. Interpol, bring him home.”
Accompanying the post was an art card that read “Bring Harry Roque Home,” a satirical nod to the “Bring PRRD Home” campaign, which calls for the repatriation of former President Rodrigo Duterte from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
Roque is currently in the Netherlands, where he has applied for asylum. According to him, the pending status of his application shields him from arrest.
“Kahit ano pang kunin n’yong red notice alert diyan, eh manigas kayo! Hindi n’yo ako makukuha habang nakabinbin itong asylum na ‘to dito sa Netherlands,” Roque declared in a Facebook Live broadcast on Tuesday, May 20.
However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed that they are in the process of requesting a red notice from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to initiate Roque’s arrest and extradition.
“We are still preparing the documents needed for an Interpol request for a red notice,” said DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano. “In the end, what we want is to give justice to the victims of the qualified trafficking case.”
The warrant of arrest was issued by Branch 118 of the Angeles City Regional Trial Court against Roque and co-accused Cassandra Ong. Both are implicated in the alleged human trafficking linked to a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Pampanga.
Akbayan, which topped the 2025 national party-list elections and was officially proclaimed on May 19, has been vocal in demanding accountability from former government officials tied to various legal controversies.
