DOJ pursues Roque; POGO enforcement arc stays open

The Philippine Department of Justice is actively pursuing the return of Harry Roque, former presidential spokesperson under Rodrigo Duterte, and 11 others connected to an alleged human trafficking operation tied to a POGO in Porac, Pampanga. The DOJ issued an immigration lookout bulletin order against the group. Roque is believed to have left the Philippines illegally in September 2024, with the Bureau of Immigration holding no departure records. He is reported to be seeking political asylum in Austria, the country that issued his Schengen visa. The DOJ secretary has publicly framed the pursuit as an accountability matter, not political persecution, noting that the offenses involved are criminal in France and other jurisdictions as well.

The POGO ban took effect in 2024, but this case makes clear that enforcement liability from the POGO era does not end when the industry is formally shut down. The DOJ is pursuing individuals for conduct that allegedly occurred while POGOs were still operating. Roque's profile, as a senior figure in the Duterte administration, gives the case political weight that extends well beyond a routine trafficking prosecution. It keeps the POGO enforcement arc visible in legislative and media cycles, and it signals to others who may have exposure from that period that the government intends to follow through regardless of where individuals have relocated.