MANILA: The government has requested a red notice from the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) against former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission (PAOCC) spokesperson Dr. Winston Casio revealed on Sunday.
“The Philippine government has already submitted a request for a red notice, an international arrest warrant, for Mr. Roque. It’s a bit difficult because he is projecting that he is allegedly a victim of political persecution,” Casio said in an interview with dzBB.
According to the Interpol, a red notice is a “request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. It is based on an arrest warrant or court order issued by the judicial authorities in the requesting country.”
Roque is facing charges of qualified human trafficking in relation to the alleged scam hub in Pampanga run by the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) Lucky South 99.
He was accused of wrongdoing in his capacity as legal counsel for Whirlwind Corporation, the same company that leased land to the supposed illegal Pogo.
Also charged with the qualified trafficking are Lucky South 99 representative Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, and 48 others.
Since being charged, Roque has attempted to seek asylum from different countries on grounds of “political persecution;” however, the Department of Justice earlier claimed that the Netherlands has denied Roque’s request.
According to Casio, an Interpol red notice was already issued to Ong, who was last seen in Japan.
“If I’m not mistaken, her warrant has already been issued in France and our government has received it. Then it will be distributed so there will be a meeting to find Cassandra Li Ong with Ronelyn Baterna.”
Baterna was the corporate secretary of Lucky Star 99, who claimed during a congressional hearing that she issued checks as high as P500,000 (US$8,505) to clients of the firm under Ong’s chequing account. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
