Following a court order.
On Tuesday, November 25, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), through its spokesperson Angelica Escalona, said that they have revoked the passports of five personalities implicated in the Lucky South 99 case.
Theu are former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Cassandra Li Ong, Ronelyn Baterna, Mercides Macabasa, and Dennis Lacson Cunanan.
The DFA moved to cancel their passports following the omnibus resolution issued by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 157 in connection with the qualified human trafficking case in the said Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) hub in Pampanga.
Law enforcement and border control authorities have been notified about the cancelled passports, which effectively bars them from travelling outside the country or beyond their current whereabouts.
Meanwhile, on the same day, news broke out about the reported arrest of Harry Roque in The Netherlands, where he is seeking asylum.
It was said that he was taken by authorities at the Schipol Airport, although the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said that they have yet to receive formal notice from their Dutch counterparts.
However, in a Facebook post, Roque posted a photo his plane ticket from Amsterdam, Netherlands and is headed to Vienna, Austria.
He wrote, “There is no truth to the rumors that I have been arrested. I have a scheduled flight to Vienna, Austria today, November 25. Details to follow.”
It was back in May when a Pampanga court issued arrest warrants against 50 individuals, including Roque and Ong, for alleged human trafficking in connection with the operations of Lucky South 99.