GOVERNMENT prosecutors have indicted former Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s spokesman for human trafficking due to his alleged link to an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) that authorities raided in Pampanga province last year.
Former presidential spokesman Herminio “Harry” L. Roque was charged with qualified human trafficking before an Angeles City regional trial court, Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix L. Ty told reporters on Monday.
Also charged were Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, a representative from POGO Lucky South 99, and 48 others.
“Our theory here in the Porac, [Pampanga] case is not new… Section 4L of the Qualified Trafficking in Persons Act really happened there,” Mr. Ty said in Filipino. The Department of Justice (DoJ) filed the case before the court in Pampanga on April 28, he added.
The prosecutor said Mr. Roque had lobbied for the renewal of the POGO’s license before the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. “So you can clearly see that he was really involved in the founding and organizing of this illegal POGO where human trafficking took place.”
Mr. Roque, who is in The Netherlands seeking asylum, said he would include his indictment as part of his application.
“I will include this latest charge in my application for asylum as a victim of political persecution owing to my loyalty to the Dutertes,” he told reporters in a Viber group chat. “This is not flight as evidence of guilt but the exercise of a human right to asylum.”
He said the charges had been fabricated, noting he was not initially included in the case against Ms. Ong and the others.
The former human rights lawyer said there is no evidence linking him to crime, describing his role only as a legal counsel for Whirlwind Corp. in a separate ejectment case. Whirlwind owned the land where Lucky South stood.
Ferdinand S. Topacio, Ms. Ong’s lawyer, declined to comment since he had not read the DoJ resolution.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. banned POGOs last year, citing their links to criminal syndicates involved in human trafficking, fraud and money laundering. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana