An Interpol Red Notice has been requested by the Philippine government for former presidential spokesman Harry Roque, as part of intensified international efforts to hold key figures accountable in connection with the shuttered Lucky South 99 Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) confirmed Sunday.

Authorities at the same time detailed the circumstances that allowed Cassandra Li Ong, a principal figure in the POGO network, to leave the country before an arrest warrant was issued.

PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said the request for Roque’s international arrest notice has already been transmitted to Interpol, noting that it is grounded entirely on evidence uncovered during the ongoing investigation. He dismissed claims by Roque that he is a victim of political persecution.

Casio said, “It is difficult because he keeps projecting that he is supposedly being politically persecuted. That is not true. Everything depends on the evidence.”

Roque was identified by investigators as the head of the legal department for Lucky South 99, particularly in matters related to the company’s license reapplication with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), which was ultimately denied.

He has been implicated in multiple complaints, including allegations of qualified human trafficking tied to the hub’s operations. Criminal cases were filed against him and 48 others in April 2025, and at least one case has already been submitted for resolution, while another was filed as recently as Friday.

Roque, despite these developments, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, asserting that he never served as legal counsel for any illegal POGO operation.

Following contempt citations from the House of Representatives for failing to attend hearings related to POGO operations, he left the Philippines last year and reportedly sought political asylum in the Netherlands. PAOCC officials said he has also been reported in Germany after the Netherlands allegedly rejected his asylum request.

“The Philippine government already submitted a request for a Red Notice, an international arrest warrant for Mr. Roque,” Casio said in a radio interview. “The cases are based on evidence. The government continues to pursue all legal avenues to ensure accountability in these POGO cases.”

The Red Notice will allow enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest Roque while extradition or related legal processes proceed.

It forms part of a broader international coordination effort that also targets Cassandra Li Ong and her associate Rosalin Baterna, both implicated as representatives of Lucky South 99 and now subjects of Interpol notices for qualified human trafficking.

The PAOCC spokesperson outlined the reasons authorities were unable to prevent Ong from leaving the country. She was last tracked in Japan in January 2025 through “social media exploitation,” a method that monitors public digital activity, after her release from the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in December 2024. Ong’s confinement had resulted from a contempt order issued by the House Quad Committee, but the order — and her CIW commitment — expired automatically when the 19th Congress adjourned.

“During that time, she could not legally be stopped because there was no warrant of arrest. She still had freedom of movement,” Casio said. He emphasized that retaining Ong beyond that period without a warrant would have violated her rights and exposed CIW personnel to potential charges of illegal or arbitrary detention.

By May 2025, when arrest warrants were issued for Ong and Baterna, authorities continued monitoring their digital footprints. However, Ong had locked her accounts, effectively cutting investigators off from her online trail.

PAOCC noted that public portrayals of Ong and Baterna as adversaries during congressional hearings were staged, stating, “In truth, that was all drama. We continue to receive reports that they remain together. Those two cannot be separated.”

On the other hand, the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime (PCTC), under Undersecretary Anthony Alcantara, forwarded the necessary documents to Interpol headquarters in France once Ong’s arrest warrant was issued.

Interpol released the Red Notice on 17 October and the Philippine government has since received and circulated it. Authorities said a new interagency meeting will be convened to locate Ong and Baterna, emphasizing ongoing international coordination.

Meanwhile, the Red Notice request for Roque proceeds amid his continued public statements casting doubt on the government’s motives. Investigators stressed that his inclusion in the case stems from documented involvement in facilitating Lucky South 99’s operations, including his role in managing its legal matters, and the broader network’s alleged trafficking, kidnapping, and forced labor practices.