NBI director to Harry Roque: Come home, face charges
NBI Director Melvin Matibag has urged former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, who is currently abroad, to return to the Philippines and face human trafficking charges. Roque is among several individuals accused in connection with illegal activities by a Philippine-based entity.
On February 23, 2026, newly appointed National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag publicly urged former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque to return to the Philippines and face qualified human trafficking charges. Roque faces arrest warrants for violations of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (Republic Act 9208) in connection with the Lucky South 99 POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga. The charges stem from a June 5, 2024 raid where authorities rescued over 150 foreign nationals, including Chinese workers who were reportedly handcuffed to beds and subjected to torture, online scams, kidnapping, and debt bondage. The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) labeled it the "worst" POGO operation for worker abuse.
Roque is accused of active participation as the legal officer of Lucky South 99, with prosecutors alleging he knew of illegal activities, benefited from them, and withheld information from law enforcement. The PNP-CIDG filed a supplemental petition on October 28, 2024, adding Roque to the case initially filed on September 10, 2024, against businesswoman Cassandra Ong and 53 others. A Pampanga court subsequently issued arrest warrants against Roque, Ong, and approximately 50 others, with no bail recommended. Roque's passport was canceled in November 2025.
Roque is reportedly in Austria seeking political asylum in the Netherlands, claiming persecution over his alleged POGO links. He has denied the charges as "trumped-up" and maintains he only represented Whirlwind Corp. (linked to Lucky South 99) in an ejectment case and debt settlement with PAGCOR in July 2023. Matibag, a former Duterte Cabinet colleague who filed a September 2024 disbarment complaint against Roque over a deepfake video depicting President Marcos using drugs, dismissed Roque's claim that his NBI appointment was a "reward" for that action.
Matibag emphasized equal treatment for all, stating, "For people like him who should be a lover of the law, you should come home and face all the charges," and stressed the NBI would not target Roque personally or allow distractions. The NBI director, who was sworn in last week by President Marcos, affirmed there would be no "sacred cows" in investigations. Meanwhile, authorities have arrested several Lucky South 99 staff members, including an administrative officer accused of torture, an operations officer, and a security guard, as part of the ongoing investigation into the POGO trafficking case.
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