CIDG Sends Out Tracker Teams after Angeles Court Issues Arrest Warrant vs. Harry Roque, Cassandra Ong, 49 Others
Tracker teams were deployed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) for the arrest of Harry Roque, Cassandra Ong, and 49 others faced with an arrest warrant.
Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque is one of the personalities who are being investigated with regards to his possible involvement with the illegal Philippine offshore gaming operations in the country. A letter addressed to Roque in a raided POGO hub in Pampanga has ignited the probe.
Late last year, the House of Representatives has cited Roque for contempt and ordered his arrest. The former presidential spokesman hid and was only seen again in The Hague, Netherlands. His first public appearance after several months was when former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte was brought to The Hague for his detention.
There were calls for the former presidential spox to return to the Philippines. Amid the calls, the Angeles City Regional Trial Court Branch 118 released arrest warrants against Harry Roque, Cassandra Ong, and 49 others. Ong is also faced with accusations over her alleged involvement with illegal POGOs.
Recently, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group made a move following the release of arrest warrants against 51 individuals. Based on a report on Inquirer, the CIDG deployed tracker teams across the nation to capture the individuals with arrest warrants.
“As of early morning today, the tracker teams are tracking and pursuing the 51 accused-subjects of the arrest warrant across the country,” the CIDG said in a statement.
PNP Public Information Office (PIO) chief Col. Randulf Tuaño confirmed the deployment of the tracker teams for the arrest of Harry Roque, Cassandra Ong, and 49 others with arrest warrants. With the former presidential spox being in the Netherlands, the Department of Justice or DOJ confirmed that they may seek the assistance of the Interpol for the arrest of Harry Roque.
Based on the report, Col. Randulf Tuaño confirmed that tapping the assistance of the Interpol is one of the options that the legal officers of the tracker teams are discussing. Currently, Harry Roque is an asylum seeker in the Netherlands. He previously claimed that he no longer needs to hide as an asylum seeker allegedly cannot be deported while the application process for the asylum which may take up to a year and a half is ongoing.