The Senate’s budget discussions for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) took an unexpected turn after Senate President Tito Sotto raised a high-visibility inquiry: circulating reports that former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque had been arrested in the Netherlands, allegedly following the cancellation of his passport over human trafficking charges.
During the session, Senator Imee Marcos, who was steering the floor defense of the DFA’s proposed 2026 budget, stated that the agency was still executing due diligence workflows. “While it’s in the breaking news, the DFA is still in the process of verifying, as they have had no information from the Netherlands,” she told her colleagues, signaling the government’s preference for validated intel over viral noise.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro later reinforced this position in a brief press conference at the Senate. She clarified that the Philippine government has zero confirmed data points supporting the narrative that Roque has been apprehended abroad. “We got no confirmation about Roque’s arrest,” Lazaro stressed, noting that real-time coordination protocols were already underway with the Philippine Embassy in The Hague.
According to Lazaro, embassy officials have not relayed any official communication or notifications from Dutch authorities. “We were talking to the Philippine Embassy in The Hague. We never got any confirmation,” she said, underlining that the department’s information pipeline remains clear — no arrest has been verified.
However, Lazaro did confirm that Roque’s passport has indeed been canceled. This action, she explained, stemmed directly from a judicial directive connected to the human trafficking case. “Yes, as a result of the decision of the court. We already canceled it,” she stated, describing the move as a compliance-driven response aligned with established regulatory frameworks.
The situation has generated significant public curiosity, with social feeds running hot on speculation. But officials emphasized that the government will not move based on unverified narratives — only on formal, diplomatic-grade information.
As the DFA continues its validation process, lawmakers signal that maintaining procedural rigor is crucial. With the spotlight intensifying around Roque’s legal situation, the next updates are expected to hinge on official communications from the Netherlands — not rumor cycles.
For now, the agency’s position stands firm: the passport cancellation is confirmed, but any talk of an arrest remains unsubstantiated pending verified diplomatic reports.