Roque, Ong arrest ordered

Arrest warrants have been issued by the Angeles City Regional Trial Court (RTC) for former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and businesswoman Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, also known as Cassy Ong, in connection with a major human trafficking case linked to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs in Porac, Pampanga.

Angeles City RTC Branch 118 issued the warrants dated 8 May, following the filing of 11 criminal cases under the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012. The charges stem from government raids on suspected POGO operations, where authorities uncovered widespread forced labor, illegal detention, and other trafficking-related offenses.

Prosecutors cited violations of Section 4(l) in relation to Section 6(c) of Republic Act 9208, which penalizes acts that facilitate trafficking, including recruitment and exploitation.

Aside from Roque and Ong, several other individuals were named in the cases, including those going by aliases such as Sam Sy or “Boss Eric” and Terry Ye or “Boss Terry” and Norman Macapagal. Also charged were other Chinese and Filipino nationals allegedly involved in the operation of illicit gaming hubs masquerading as legitimate POGO firms.

The issuance of the arrest warrants marks a significant escalation of the government’s crackdown on illegal POGO operations. In recent months, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police conducted sweeping raids in Pampanga, exposing a network of criminal activity involving not only human trafficking but also cybercrime and financial fraud.

Roque, who once served as the Duterte administration’s chief legal counsel, is currently in The Hague, Netherlands where he is applying for political asylum. In a statement on Wednesday, Roque denounced the charges, calling them part of an “unjust prosecution.”