DOJ files qualified human trafficking case vs Roque and co-accused

The Department of Justice filed a qualified human trafficking case against former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and his co-accused over their alleged involvement in the operations of the scam hub Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga, according to a report on the filing¹. The case was filed in April 2025¹.

A court later issued a warrant of arrest against Cassandra Ong and Roque among several others over the same matter¹. Based on a copy of the order from Angeles City Regional Trial Court Branch 118, Presiding Judge Rene Reyes issued the warrant against Ong and Roque for violation of Section 4(1), in relation to Section 6 (c) of Republic Act No. 9208, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003¹. Ong and Roque's other co-accused were charged with the same crime and included in the warrant¹.

The order stated that the court found probable cause to hold all the named accused for trial¹:

The DOJ said Roque's participation was not limited to being a lawyer for Whirlwind Corporation, the company that leased land to Lucky South 99, but that he was also the representative of the Pogo¹. In the Information filed before the Pampanga Court, DOJ prosecutors said more than 30 accused "conspired and confederated with accused Herminio Harry L. Roque Jr. as counsel of both corporations, who had knowledge of or was willfully blind to the fact that the business of Lucky South 99 and Whirlwind Corporation is illegal and whose indispensable cooperation and participation in aggressively pursuing the renewal of the supposed IGL of Lucky South 99…led to the trafficking or exploitation of workers for financial gain"¹.

Roque tagged the issuance of the warrant as "part" of an "unjust prosecution," which he said he will include in his application for asylum in the Netherlands¹. "I will seek all available legal remedies to secure my life and liberty which are currently under threat," he said, adding: "I reiterate: This is not flight as evidence of guilt but the exercise of a human right to asylum"¹.

What it means for players

The case concerns alleged trafficking and exploitation of workers at Lucky South 99, a scam hub in Porac, Pampanga, rather than the treatment of bettors¹. The charges were filed under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, not under gambling law¹. The court's finding of probable cause means the named accused will face trial; it is not a conviction¹. People who gamble in the Philippines, whether residents or visitors, are not named in the case, and no effect on licensed gambling operations is reported¹. General guidance on identifying scam compounds and reporting them is set out in Gambling Scams and Safety in Asia, and the legal position for players is covered in Can I Gamble in the Philippines?.

What happens next

The arrest warrant had been issued as of the report¹. Roque said he will pursue legal remedies and apply for asylum in the Netherlands¹. No trial date or further court schedule is reported¹.