What a difference 3 years make for Harry Roque

Three years ago, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque sat with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and top legal officials, including Juan Ponce Enrile, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, as well as Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, to discuss the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue.

In July of 2022, Roque claimed to be Marcos’s private counsel in the meeting on the Philippines’ stand on the ICC.

How things have changed.

On Monday, 17 March 2025, Roque revealed his plan to seek asylum in the Netherlands, citing his fear of political persecution in the Philippines.

His asylum bid followed a significant shift in his political allegiance.

After Vice President Sara Duterte resigned from the Cabinet in 2024, which effectively ended the UniTeam alliance with Marcos, Roque sided with Duterte.

The political shift put Roque in a difficult situation. He is now facing the possibility of multiple charges, including human trafficking, which is a non-bailable offense, due to his alleged involvement in POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) which President Marcos banned from the country.

He fled the country in 2024, just before the House of Representatives’ Quad Committee issued an arrest order against him for contempt due to his failure to submit documents explaining his wealth.

Roque’s alleged involvement in the operations of Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga, led to his investigation for human trafficking, a serious crime tied to the POGO industry.

His role in the operation, which allegedly used scam tactics, drew widespread attention and controversy.

On Wednesday, Justice Secretary Remulla called on Roque to return to the Philippines and face the charges against him.

“He should face the charges leveled against him and be a Filipino,” Remulla said. He also dismissed Roque’s attempts to place himself in the international legal drama surrounding the ICC, calling Roque “a non-entity” in the issue.

Asked about revoking Roque’s passport, Remulla clarified this could only happen if a formal case is filed in court against him.

Roque, who is one of five Filipino lawyers on the ICC’s “list of counsel” able to represent defendants before the tribunal, has been ruled out as a lawyer of her father, Vice President Sara Duterte said.

She said Roque should focus on his asylum bid.

In response to Roque’s claims of political persecution, Malacañang said it would only respond if Roque faced an arrest warrant or a criminal case.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said it would be more fitting for Roque to represent himself in court before defending others.

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives are working to block Harry Roque’s asylum bid, while the Justice Department continues its investigation into his alleged role in human trafficking linked to the POGO operations at Lucky South 99.

Roque’s legal and political issues have intensified, and his plan to seek asylum in the Netherlands has sparked debate and scrutiny.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) added to the controversy, saying Roque could be placed on the Interpol watchlist if a court issues an arrest warrant.

While Roque is on an immigration lookout bulletin for his involvement with the POGO hub in Porac, there is no hold departure order against him. BI spokeswoman Dana Sandoval said that only a court-issued warrant could trigger Interpol’s involvement.