Incoming Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque (File photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Incoming Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he was referring to the members of the “yellow propagandists” whom he taunted as “losers” for being envious of his being appointed to the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte.
But Roque said he will not identify these “yellow propagandists” because he does not want to make them famous.
During an interview with CNN’s news program “The Source,” anchor Pinky Webb showed Roque a portion of his interview with Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson on Sunday where he slammed Duterte’s critics.
“Mamatay kayo sa inggit. Tapos na mga panahon ‘nyo. Laos na kayo, kaya puwede ba, move on na kayo,” said Roque during the interview with Uson.
(Just die in envy. Your seasons [in government] are already over. You are all has-beens, so please, can you just move on .)
He later explained: “I think you know who these people are. These are the members of the yellow propaganda who do not have anything good to say—the types of tweets that they have actually sent around. But I won’t mention them because my position is laos na sila, I won’t make them even more famous.”
Asked by the television anchor if the public could expect a same manner of speaking when he formally assumes as the Malacañang spokesperson, Roque said he was only using that style of speaking because he was addressing the so-called “Ka-DDS” or the Die Hard Duterte Supporters.
READ: Roque: I won’t curse like Duterte but I’ll scream
“I was addressing a specific audience—the DDS who may have inhibitions about the fact that I was not an original supporter of President Duterte and they’re unsure if I’m going to be an effective spokesperson for the President,” he said.
Roque campaigned for former Vice President Jejomar Binay during the presidential elections last May 2016.
He said it was important for him to get the support of the DDS, because: “without their support I won’t be effective.” /jpv