Roque admits shooting a video for campaign ad

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. INQUIRER file photo / JOAN BONDOC

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday admitted shooting a video for a campaign advertisement ahead of the start of the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COC) for the 2019 midterm elections.

“The truth is [that] I shot it because it’s been paid for,” Roque told reporters when asked if he shot the ad over the weekend.

“You know, we’ve had plans. Whatever happened in the last few days were really a major deviation from plans that even the President knew about,” he added.

However, Roque insisted that he has yet to decide whether or not he will seek a seat at the Upper Chamber.

The former Kabayan representative made the admission days after President Rodrigo Duterte, during a speech in Malacañang, told him to forget his Senate plans because he doesn’t have a winning chance in the 2019 polls.

“Si Roque gusto mag senador. Sabi ko, ‘Tama ka na. T*** i** diyan. Standby ka,’” he said. “Bigyan kita ibang trabaho. Hindi ka manalo diyan,” Duterte said.

READ: Duterte tells Roque to forget Senate run; offers him new job

Roque, who has been known to be among the Cabinet men eyeing a Senate seat, admitted being “aback” by the statement of Duterte, who has been calling him a senator in his previous public speeches.

“Come on, for the past five, six months he’s been calling me a senator, he’s been, for all intents and purposes, endorsing my bid for Senate so I was taken aback by his statement also at the PMA Alumni,” Roque said.

“It was a game changer so to speak, it was changed in tone,” he added. /jpv