Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Monday said the cancellation of the passports of former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and Cassandra Ong was justified, given the human trafficking charges they are facing in connection with the POGO hubs Lucky South 99 and Whirlwind Corporation.
The Pasig City Regional Trial Court officially ordered the cancellation of the passports of Roque, Ong, and three Technology Resource Center executives—Dennis Cunanan, Ronelyn Baterna, and Mercides Macabasa—on November 24.
“Si Cassie Li Ong at Harry Roque ay nahaharap sa mabigat na kaso ng human trafficking. Dapat lang na kinansela ang pasaporte nila lalo pa na tila tinatakasan nila ang batas,” Hontiveros said.
She added she was confident they would eventually be compelled to return to the Philippines: “I am positive that soon enough they will be brought home to face the charges against them. Hindi nila habambuhay matatakbuhan ang kanilang pananagutan.”
Hontiveros further urged authorities to pursue all criminal groups behind the operations of POGO scam hubs: “Our government must also not stop until other criminal syndicates that enabled these POGO scam hubs are made accountable. The conviction of Alice Guo is not the end of the story. Hindi lang siya ang mananagot — dapat lahat na sangkot.”
Roque, meanwhile, insisted that the court’s move to cancel his passport amounted to political harassment.