Photo credit: Congress PH

The controversy surrounding former Presidential Spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque just took a serious international turn. The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has now requested the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to issue a Red Notice against Roque, who’s facing a qualified human trafficking case in the Philippines.

CIDG chief Police Major General Nicolas Torre III confirmed that they’ve made the formal request to Interpol. If approved, the Red Notice would essentially flag Roque for arrest in any cooperating country, helping authorities locate and possibly extradite him back to the Philippines to face trial before the Angeles City Regional Trial Court.

Roque has been making headlines recently, not for his former high-profile role in government, but because of this serious criminal case. A Red Notice isn’t the same as an international arrest warrant, but it does mean that law enforcement around the world will be alerted to his case and can detain him based on the Philippines’ request.

This move by the CIDG signals that authorities are taking the case against Roque very seriously—and that they’re willing to go beyond Philippine borders to bring him in. So far, Roque has not made a public statement regarding the charges or the Red Notice request.