MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) says it is still verifying reports that former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has been arrested in the Netherlands, following conflicting accounts circulating in Manila and online.

Local tabloid Abante earlier reported that Roque was taken into custody by Dutch immigration police at his residence in The Hague, a day after a Pasig court ordered the cancellation of his passport in connection with a qualified human trafficking case. He was reportedly brought to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Terminal 3, where he was allegedly seen with a group of asylum seekers. According to the source cited, Dutch authorities were considering either sending him to Vienna or deporting him to the Philippines.

Roque, however, publicly rejected the claims. “There is no truth to the rumors that I have been arrested,” Roque said in a Facebook post. “I have a scheduled flight to Vienna, Austria today, November 25,” he added.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla also said the government had yet to receive confirmation from Dutch officials, despite the issuance of a Philippine-requested Interpol Red Notice that would, in principle, allow authorities in the Netherlands to take him into custody.

In a budget hearing earlier in the day, Senate President Vicente Sotto III raised the issue with the Department of Foreign Affairs. Senator Imee Marcos, the DFA’s budget sponsor, told lawmakers the agency had not received any confirmation of an arrest.

“While it’s in the breaking news, the DFA is still in the process of verifying as they’ve had no information from the Netherlands,” Marcos said.

The Department of Justice issued a similar statement.

The DOJ said it has “not received any official communication with respect to the alleged arrest of Harry Roque.”

Roque has denied involvement in human trafficking or abuse linked to Lucky South 99, an illegal POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga. The case against him remains pending, as the Angeles City court overseeing it has not yet acquired jurisdiction.

He left the Philippines in September 2024 after being cited for contempt for refusing to testify at Senate inquiries into offshore gambling operations allegedly used as fronts for organized crime. Roque later resurfaced in the Netherlands, where he sought asylum, claiming political persecution.

The Department of Justice says Roque’s passport was cancelled after the government sought a Red Notice against him. A Red Notice, circulated among Interpol’s member countries, allows states to locate and provisionally arrest an individual based on an existing warrant.

📷 Harry Roque FB