THE Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested a co-accused of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in the human-trafficking charges in relation to their alleged involvement in an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo).
In a statement on Sunday evening, May 25, 2025, CIDG Director Major General Nicolas Torre III said alias “Marlon” was arrested on May 22, 2025 in Barangay Tabun, Mabalacat City, Pampanga.
The arrested suspect was the operations officer of the security agency of Lucky South 99 Outsourcing Inc., the illegal Pogo hub raided in Porac, Pampanga in June 2024.
A Pampanga court earlier issued an arrest warrant against Roque, along with Cassandra Li Ong, who was the authorized representative of Lucky South 99, and 49 others for alleged qualified human trafficking.
The raid in the illegal Pogo hub on June 7, 2025 resulted in the rescue of at least 186 foreign and Filipino workers.
During the raid, authorities rescued alleged human trafficking victims, particularly Chinese nationals who bore torture marks in different parts of their bodies.
Two of them were still handcuffed on bed frames and were full of bruises and torture marks when found by the police.
Torre urged the other 50 co-accused to surrender, noting that tracker teams are pursuing them 24/7.
“Rest assured that your CIDG is committed and steadfast in our fight against criminals, fugitives and wanted persons nationwide. The CIDG is dauntless, the CIDG means business,” said Torre. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)