The Department of Justice (DOJ) is still awaiting a court decision on its motion to cancel the passport of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, who is facing multiple criminal charges.
In an interview, DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano clarified that the passport revocation process must originate from the court, not from the DOJ or the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
“There’s no update yet. That will have to come from the court. We’re just waiting on the court for that,” Clavano said. “If the court issues an order, then it will direct the DFA to cancel the passport. That’s the process.”
He explained that DOJ prosecutors have already filed the necessary motion in court. It will be up to the court to determine whether canceling Roque’s passport is appropriate.
“The court will decide whether that’s proper or not,” he added. “If it is, the court will then order the DFA to cancel that individual’s passport. So that’s what we’re waiting for — the court’s order, whether it will cancel the passport or deny the motion.”
Clavano’s remarks follow rising speculation over Roque’s alleged possession of multiple passports. The DFA earlier clarified that only one valid passport had been issued to Roque, fueling concerns that any additional travel documents may have been fraudulently obtained.
“That’s not inconsistent with what we’ve said before,” Clavano explained. “If he holds more than one valid passport, and both haven’t expired, then the extra passport must have been fraudulently procured. Secretary Remulla’s statements align with this — there’s a real possibility one of Roque’s passports was obtained illegally.”
When asked if Roque might be the next fugitive to be repatriated — following the recent deportation of former Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. — Clavano stressed that the government is not prioritizing any one case over another.
“There’s no queuing number. We’re pursuing all fugitives simultaneously,” he said. “It just so happened that we brought back Mr. Teves last week, but that doesn’t mean we’re doing this one at a time. We’re actively gathering intelligence on all of them, and we hope to apprehend them all as soon as possible.”
Roque is facing 12 non-bailable criminal cases filed by the Philippine government for his alleged role in a major human trafficking syndicate linked to illegal POGO operations in Porac, Pampanga. The cases stem from DOJ complaints filed in August 2024, following raids that uncovered forced labor, illegal detention, and trafficking activities.
Roque, who has denied the charges as “fabricated,” had already drawn scrutiny for his legal ties to POGO firms. In 2024, he was twice cited for contempt by Congress for refusing to submit financial documents, spending 24 hours in House detention. After the second contempt order, he fled the country — eventually surfacing in the United Arab Emirates and later in the Netherlands, where he sought political asylum following the March 2025 arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court.
Roque was removed from Duterte’s defense team shortly thereafter.