Harry Roque ‘seriously considering’ Senate run under Binay’s UNA
LAW expert Harry Roque on Monday said that he is “seriously considering” an offer made by Vice President Jejomar Binay to be included in the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) senatorial ticket in the 2016 elections.
In a post on his blog, Roque said that the Senate needs to have “qualified” members and that winning a Senate seat will prove that “common citizens, law professors and human rights advocates” can be elected.
“I want to prove that common citizens, including law professors and human rights advocates, can be elected by the people to the Senate. If Jovito Salonga and Miriam Defensor-Santiago did it, I see no reason why I cannot do the same,” the lawyer said.
He also thinks that participating in policy-making will effect change in the country, lamenting how he failed to do such task after being an activist for the past 35 years.
“After 35 years of being an activist, the Philippines remains the same: the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer. The Philippines remains a dependency of the United States, and the traditional elite has remained in power in Congress and in the Executive branch. Clearly, our efforts as an activist have not been effective in changing the economic and political structure of the country. Perhaps, my participation in the policy making branch of government will make more of an impact in effecting change in our society,” he added.
Roque said that he expressed the challenges of winning a Senate seat to Binay which include securing at least 13.5 million votes and raising campaign funds amounting to P300 million.
The lawyer said that he will tag along with Binay in visiting Filipinos around the country until September. He will reveal his decision by October.
Meanwhile, Roque said Binay is the best choice for the country’s next president.
“I also believe that his (Binay) background as a lawyer, a human rights advocate, and as a local executive of the country’s premier city makes him the best choice for President in 2016,” the lawyer said.
Roque is a human interest lawyer, being one of the lawyers in the Jennifer Laude and Subic Rape cases. He also taught Constitutional Law and International law in the UP College of Law for the past 15 years.
However, he is also known for defending the Binays. He issued statements that the vice president has immunity from suit and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) order to freeze Binay’s assets is unconstitutional.
In a blog post written during the height of the investigation on the corruption allegations hurled against the vice president last August, Roque said that Binay is the “only one” fit for the presidency. AC
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