Philippines cancels Roque, Cassandra Ong passports

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed late Tuesday, November 25, that it had canceled the passport of former Duterte spokesperson Harry Roque following a resolution issued by a Pasig court.

DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalona, in a message to media, said the passports of the following individuals were canceled after the department received a resolution from Branch 157 of the Regional Trial Court in Pasig:

1. Herminio Roque Jr.
2. Katherine Cassandra Li Ong
3. Ronelyn Baterna 
4. Mercides Macabasa
5. Dennis Lacson Cunanan

“This DFA action is consistent with the provisions of RA No. 11983 and its IRR. Following established procedures, law enforcement and border control authorities have been notified about these cancelled travel documents,” Escalona said.

The DFA’s announcement comes just a day after Presiding Judge Ana Terese Cornejo Tomacruz’s November 19 order was made public on Monday, November 24. The cancellation of Roque, Ong, Baterna, Macabasa, and Cunanan’s passports are in relation to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO).

A person whose passport is canceled may be the subject of deportation to the Philippines. All passports are the property of the Philippine government.

Roque, a one-time human rights lawyer who would later become former president Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesperson, is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by an Angeles City court in May 2025 over qualified trafficking in persons charges. Ong and several others face the same charges.

The DFA’s confirmation of Roque’s passport cancellation followed rumors that he had been arrested in the Netherlands, where he is seeking asylum. The Philippines had earlier requested the International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol to issue a red notice against Roque and several others.

Roque, in a post on social media, dismissed speculation that he had been arrested and said he was scheduled to fly to Vienna on Tuesday. The former Duterte mouthpiece included a picture of his supposed boarding pass for the flight from the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to Vienna International Airport.

The Netherlands and Austria are both within the Schengen Area, a zone where European countries — to an extent — have no border control checks. Read the European Union’s website, “Once you have crossed the external Schengen border and border guards have verified that your documents satisfy the entry requirements, you will not be subject to further checks when traveling within the Schengen Area.”

However, both the Netherlands and Austria may “temporarily reintroduce border control at all or specific parts of their internal borders in the event of a serious threat to public policy or internal security.” The two countries are among those in which the EU still suggests travelers have their “passport and other supporting documents with [them].” – Rappler.com