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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Another co-accused of Harry Roque falls, Torre urges all respondents to surrender

Another co-accused of Harry Roque falls, Torre urges all respondents to surrender

Published May 31, 2025 07:32 pm
A CIDG operative serves ab arrest warrant against another accused of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in the human trafficking case relating to a raided POGO hub in Pampanga. (photo: CIDG)
A CIDG operative serves ab arrest warrant against another accused of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in the human trafficking case relating to a raided POGO hub in Pampanga. (photo: CIDG)

In what appears to be a message to former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, incoming national police chief Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III urged all the accused in a non-bailable human trafficking case relating to the operation of a raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Pampanga to surrender.

This, as operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), which Torre currently heads, arrested the second of the 51 accused in the Qualified Trafficking in Persons following a raid conducted at the Lucky South 99 Outsourcing Inc. in Porac, Pampanga last year.

“I urge the other 49 co-accused to surrender yourselves to the CIDG and authorities because the tracker teams are pursuing you 24/7 and will catch you anytime soon,” said Torre.

On May 29, security guard Mariano was collared at the Clark Development Corporation, Public Safety Division in Clark, Pampanga.

Torre said the arrested respondent was assigned as the security guard when the alleged qualified trafficking in persons happened in Lucky South 99 Outsourcing Inc. 

CIDG operatives earlier arrested the operations officer of a security agency that was tapped to secure the raided POGO hub.

A total of 51 people, including Roque and Cassandra Ong, were charged with Qualified Trafficking in Persons (Violation of Republic Act 9208 as amended), Violation of Section 4 (i) in relation to Section 6 (c) of RA No. 9208 as amended).

The Regional Trial Court Branch 118 in Angeles City, Pampanga issued an arrest warrant with no bail recommended.

Following the issuance of the arrest warrant, the CIDG immediately formed tracker teams to hunt down all the accused.

On the part of Roque who was reported to be in Europe, Torre said the Philippine government, through the Department of Justice (DOJ), is already working with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to secure him.

DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier said they are also working to cancel Roque’s passport. 

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