Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque admitted that if judicial reliefs fail, his fallback plan is to return to the Philippines, surrender, and file for bail in the human trafficking case filed against him.
In an interview with journalist Carlos Conde released Tuesday, Roque, who has been in the Netherlands for six months, said he continues to pursue legal remedies that do not require his presence in the country. “Well, of course, I continue to avail of judicial reliefs. They filed a nonbailable case against me, and all the reliefs that I’m availing of do not require my physical attendance in the Philippines,” he explained.
Still, he acknowledged that his only alternative would be to face authorities. “The alternative is to surrender and file a petition for bail, which would probably take anywhere from six months to one year, and be incarcerated in what I have argued in one of my pleadings in the Supreme Court to be torturous conditions,” Roque said.
The case stems from allegations linking him and several others to the operations of Lucky South 99, a Philippine offshore gaming operator in Porac, Pampanga, suspected of being a scam hub. A Manila court has issued warrants for their arrest under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.
Roque described the charge as “a very odd case,” noting that no one has come forward to claim they were recruited by him. He added that returning to the country without bail would mean immediate detention. “Of course, because there’s an outstanding warrant of arrest, and there’s no way I can enjoy any form of liberty, given that warrant of arrest, and until I can file for bail, then I would have to be behind bars,” he said.
The former Palace official also dismissed claims that his asylum plea in the Netherlands had been denied. “No, not true at all. I’ve corrected that already, many, many times,” he clarified, adding that his application remains under review.
Roque concluded that for now, his strategy is to wait for judicial relief—and, as he put it, “hopefully the end of the Marcos regime, which I hope will happen earlier than 2028.”
