Qualified Human Trafficking Charge? No Problem — Just Pull the ‘Political Persecution’ Card and Book a KLM Flight

When your old job was defending EJKs and your new hobby is crying “EJK on me!”

By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — December 9, 2025

MGA ka-kweba, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, gather round the campfire. We have a new champion in the Olympic sport of Philippine Political Theater: former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, currently sipping koffie somewhere in the Netherlands, waving what he calls “official Dutch asylum documents” while the Marcos government begs INTERPOL to slap a Red Notice on him for qualified human trafficking — an offense that carries life imprisonment under Republic Act No. 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended).

Yes, you read that right. The same Harry Roque who once stood at the Malacañang podium defending extrajudicial killings and mocking human-rights rapporteurs is now invoking Articles 2 and 3 of the INTERPOL Constitution and the sacred principle of non-refoulement like he just discovered the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in a Cracker Jack box.

The irony is so thick you could spread it on stroopwafels.

**“He once defended death squads—now he’s terrified of airport lounges.”**

Act I: The Government’s Case – Justice or Justified or Just Vindictive?

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) say Roque wasn’t just the lawyer for Whirlwind Corporation (the landlord of the infamous Lucky South 99 POGO scam hub in Porac). They say he was the representative — the smiling public face who allegedly helped keep the human-trafficking assembly line running: forced labor, sexual exploitation, passports confiscated, victims treated like casino chips.

A Pampanga regional trial court found probable cause, issued an arrest warrant, and boom — the Philippines ran to INTERPOL crying, “He fled! Red Notice please!”

Perfectly legitimate on paper. Qualified human trafficking is a jus cogens crime. Life sentence. Court-issued warrant. INTERPOL is literally designed for this.

Except… the timing. The same administration that looked the other way when Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) were blooming like mushrooms during the previous regime suddenly discovers moral clarity the moment Duterte allies are in the targets. Curious, isn’t it?

Act II: Roque’s Defense – Persecuted Patriot or Professional Fugitive?

Harry fires back with the classic playbook:

“This is political persecution against Duterte loyalists!”
“I am a protected bona fide asylum seeker under Dutch and EU law!”
“INTERPOL Articles 2 and 3 forbid political witch hunts!”

And then he posted it all on Facebook with the dramatic flair of a man who once compared himself to Nelson Mandela.

Look, Harry, we get it. You learned from the best — your former boss wrote the modern Filipino handbook on crying persecution while holding power. But there’s a difference: Mandela didn’t flee to Amsterdam. He faced Robben Island.

More importantly, there’s a delicious problem with Roque’s narrative: nobody has seen the actual Dutch asylum grant. He waves “official documentation from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service,” but so far it’s the legal equivalent of Bigfoot — lots of blurry selfies, zero verified originals.

(Pro tip: when you’re claiming non-refoulement protection, maybe don’t announce it via Facebook Live. Just saying.)

Act III: The Legal Crossfire – Where the Real Fight Happens

Let’s cut through the drama and go to the actual law.

INTERPOL’s Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF) now holds the remote control. They will ask three questions:

Is the underlying offense “predominantly political” in character? (Article 3)
Would executing the Red Notice violate human rights? (Article 2)
Is the request supported by a valid arrest warrant for a serious, ordinary-law crime?

If Roque can show credible evidence of selective prosecution — i.e., the Marcos government only discovered POGO trafficking when Duterte allies got involved — the CCF has blocked Red Notices for less political than this one.

But if the Philippines submits a clean dossier showing Roque’s direct involvement in a criminal syndicate that trafficked thousands, the CCF will likely let the Red Notice stand — and then it becomes the Netherlands’ problem.

And here’s where it gets spicy: even if INTERPOL issues the Red Notice, the Dutch government is not obligated to arrest him if they recognize him as an asylum seeker or if they believe returning him violates non-refoulement.

So the real battlefield isn’t Lyon (INTERPOL HQ). It’s The Hague.

Act IV: The Hypocrisy Olympics – Gold Medals All Around

Let’s not pretend either side is wearing the white hat.

Harry Roque spent years defending a regime accused of thousands of extrajudicial killings, mocking the International Criminal Court (ICC), and calling human-rights defenders “bayaran.” Now he’s the one clutching the UDHR like a life raft. Chef’s kiss.
The Marcos Jr. government spent the Duterte years silent about POGOs while billions flowed through them. Now they’re the caped crusaders against human trafficking — but only when the suspects have the wrong last name or political allegiance. Also chef’s kiss.

Both sides are weaponizing the same institutions they once mocked. It’s performance art.

Verdict & Forecast – What Happens Next?

Most likely scenario (60% probability):
The CCF blocks or heavily redacts the Red Notice after Roque’s lawyers flood them with clippings showing selective prosecution. The Netherlands quietly refuses cooperation. Harry stays in Europe, posting Facebook rants about tyranny while the Philippine case grinds on in absentia.

Less likely but possible (35%):
INTERPOL issues the Red Notice, the Netherlands examines the evidence, decides this is garden-variety trafficking, not political persecution, and ships him home in economy class.

Least likely (5%):
Both sides grow up, negotiate a dignified return with guarantees, and justice is actually served. (Stop laughing.)

Closing Zinger

In the end, this isn’t about Harry Roque. It’s about a justice system so broken that a former presidential spokesperson can credibly argue — to an international audience — that coming home means risking his life, while the government can credibly argue he facilitated modern-day slavery.

Both things can be true at the same time.

And that, mga kababayan, is the real tragedy of this circus.

Stay furious,

–Barok