FORMER presidential spokesperson Harry Roque accused the government of political harassment after the Supreme Court ordered the cancellation of his passport in connection with a human trafficking case linked to the Lucky South 99 Pogo hub.
In a video statement posted on Facebook from The Hague on Monday, November 24, Roque said the order was not yet final and that he has 15 days to file a motion for reconsideration.
Roque rejected the court’s finding that he had no valid reason to leave the country and was evading its jurisdiction. He argued that his travel was tied to his decision to seek asylum in the Netherlands.
“Ang right to seek asylum, ‘yan po ay isang karapatang pantao… kinikilala po ‘yan sa International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights… at sa Convention on the Rights of Refugees and Asylum Seeker,” Roque said.
He claimed he applied for asylum as early as March 19, 2025 because he did not want to become an “undocumented alien subjected to immediate summary deportation.” He said his application was prompted by what he described as political pressure.
Roque also tagged former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as among those allegedly targeting him.
“Sang-ayon sa aking mga kaklase diyan sa Kamara, ako talaga ay gustong pulbusin ni Speaker Alvarez, ni Liza Araneta-Marcos, at ni Bongbong Marcos dahil ako ang sinisisi sa polvoron video kung saan ipinakita, in no certain terms, na sumisinghot ng cocaine si President Marcos, Jr.,” he said.
Roque insisted there was no evidence linking him to the human trafficking complaints, which stem from allegations that several individuals were recruited and exploited through operations involving Lucky South 99 and Whirlwind Corporation.
“‘Yan po ay panggigipit sa akin dahil wala pong ebidensya na ako ay nag-recruit ng kahit sino… Wala po talagang ebidensya,” he said, adding that the actions cited by prosecutors were ordinary legal work.
On the same day, the Pasig City Regional Trial Court officially cancelled the passports of Roque, Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, and Technology Resource Center officials Dennis Cunanan, Ronelyn Baterna and Mercides Macabasa. They face human trafficking charges related to activities linked to the Pogo hub and Whirlwind Corporation.
