The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) clarified that it has not received any official confirmation regarding the alleged arrest of former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in the Netherlands.
Rumors circulated online claiming Roque had been taken into custody, but the DILG said no verified information has reached them.
“Reports of Atty. Harry Roque being arrested in the Netherlands are circulating… However, I would like to emphasize that no official communication confirming an arrest has been transmitted to us,” the agency said in a social media post on Tuesday, November 25.
The DILG added that it will provide updates once an official confirmation becomes available.
“We will make the appropriate announcement once an official confirmation is received,” it stated.
Roque himself denied the claims in a Facebook post the same day, saying, “There is no truth to the rumors that I have been arrested.”
He also clarified that he was scheduled to travel to Vienna, Austria on Tuesday, November 25.
The Philippine government earlier coordinated with Interpol regarding the issuance of a red notice for Roque, who is reportedly facing a qualified human trafficking case linked to operations of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO).