Harry Roque
TOKYO — Cursing, no. Screaming, yes.
Incoming presidential spokesperson Harry Roque won’t be hurling expletives frequently like President Rodrigo Duterte, but people can expect him to scream a lot because that is what he likes to do.
Roque, nevertheless, said his presence in the President’s camp could provide the proper legal context to Mr. Duterte’s often controversial statements, which include threats to kill people he thinks are destroying the country.
“It’s because the earlier statements were not [issued by] lawyers. I have to underscore the fact that the President is not only a member of the Philippine bar but was also a prosecutor for 10 years,” Roque told reporters in Tokyo.
He said he could not imagine a former prosecutor advocating the commission of murder. “It’s simply not done, when, for 10 years, he also prosecuted individuals for murder.”
Human rights
Roque stood pat on his assessment that Mr. Duterte is not a human rights violator, adding that he himself would retain his human rights advocacy even in his new position in Malacañang.
“You know, you cannot change overnight. You cannot be a completely different person. I am the same person. My convictions remain the same. I accepted the post thinking this could be the best avenue for me to influence this administration on matters involving human rights,” he said.
When discussing human rights as presidential spokesperson, he said he would first seek the facts from the proper officials.
“If there is a complaint that there was another case of killing, I’ll have to call General Bato [PNP Director General Ronald dela Rosa] and ask him why the presumption of regularity should not be overcome,’’ he said.
“I think in this manner, I would be more effective because as a congressman, they would only listen to us during budget hearings. As they get the budget, they forget about Congress,” said Roque, a party-list representative of Kabayan.
“Now, let them try forgetting me because for as long as I have questions to answer from the media on human rights, I would continue asking them questions as well,” he added.
Marketplace of ideas
He said he believed in the free marketplace of ideas, so his approach as presidential spokesperson would be to “let the free market of ideas flourish.”
Having represented journalists as a lawyer, Roque said he had a clear understanding of the importance of freedom of expression and freedom of the press in a working democracy.
He predicted that he and Mr. Duterte could be “explosive” together.
“I think it’s because I’m even more controversial than him. So together we could be explosive. I warned the President about that and he says, ‘fine,’” he said.
Mouthing expletives
Asked if he would be mouthing expletives like his principal, he said that would not be the case. “It’s not my nature to curse. It really isn’t, but I like screaming. I will scream a lot.”
But he said his warning to hit back at Mr. Duterte’s critics—even throw hollow blocks at them—would not necessarily include the European Union, which the President himself has cursed at.
He has had a professional relationship with the European Union, having stood as its consultants on many issues, according to Roque.
“Perhaps it’s a matter of explaining to the President the nature of EU policies and there was also a bit of misinformation because the individuals who criticized the Philippines were not speaking in behalf of the EU,” he said.
Roque said his warning was intended to convey the message that he won’t just be a spokesperson. “I’m a trained litigator. If I have to, I will defend and with very much passion.”