The Philippine government has submitted a formal request to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for the issuance of a Red Notice against former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
Winston Casio, spokesperson for the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), confirmed the action in a radio interview with Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday.
“The Philippine government already submitted a request for a red notice, an international arrest warrant, for Mr. Roque,” Casio said during the interview.
The request stems from an outstanding warrant of arrest issued against Roque and several others by an Angeles City court in Pampanga for qualified human trafficking.
The charges are linked to the alleged illegal operations of the Lucky South 99 Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub, where authorities found evidence of kidnapping, torture, and sex trafficking.
Casio dismissed Roque’s public assertion that he is a victim of political persecution, noting that the case is based on evidence.
Roque, who is currently seeking political asylum in the Netherlands, has denied the charges, stating that he has never served as the legal counsel for any illegal POGO and calling the government’s move “drama.”
An Interpol Red Notice functions as a worldwide alert for law enforcement to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or similar legal action.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is also moving to cancel Roque’s passport, which officials say will classify him as an undocumented alien and facilitate his eventual deportation.