By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
At the Malacañang press briefing on Wednesday, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro dismissed speculations regarding the alleged arrest of former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, who is currently in Vienna, Austria to process his asylum claim.
This, as the Palace official confirmed the non-existence of any official communication confirming Roque’s arrest, citing an earlier statement by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla Tuesday.
Castro said, adding that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have also not received any confirmation of Roque’s arrest, “Yon po ang ayon sa DILG, di po natin macoconfirm pati po sa DFA, wala pa rin pong confirmation so magbibigay lang po ng update kapag meron na.”
Earlier, the Philippine government had requested the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to issue a Red Notice against the former Presidential Spokesperson, citing his involvement in human trafficking, sedition, and the operation of the Lucky South 99 Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Porac, Pampanga.
The DFA also cancelled the validity of his passport along with other individuals involved in illegal POGO operations citing charges filed by the Angeles City Court, which include Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, Ronelyn Baterna, Mercides Macabasa, and Dennis Lacson Cunanan.
A lawyer by profession, Harry Roque held various cases in his legal career prior to entering government. He served as the Presidential Spokesperson of former President Rodrigo Duterte, and had a brief stint as the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Spokesperson during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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