Members of the newly formed group ‘Mga Manananggol Laban sa Extrajudicial Killings’ (Manlaban sa EJK) present their advocacy to media in Quezon City. INQUIRER.NET / NOY MORCOSO
Human rights lawyers would rather throw “pandesal” (breakfast buns) back at Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, who earlier warned of throwing “hollow blocks” at stubborn critics of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Law expert and former Ateneo School of Government Dean Tony La Viña made the statement on Thursday, the same time that Roque, his friend and colleague, made his first press briefing.
“Ang sagot ko kay Harry, kung magtapon siya ng hollow blocks, ang itatapon namin pan de sal,” La Viña said during the launch of lawyers’ coalition, Mga Manananggol Laban sa Extrajudicial Killings (Manlaban sa EJK), at Kamuning Bakery Cafe in Quezon City.
(My response to Harry is if he would throw hollow blocks, we would throw back pandesal.)
Roque, the incoming presidential spokesperson, clarified over ANC’s Headstart on Thursday that the statement he earlier made about throwing back “hollow blocks” when hit with stones, was not directed at the critics of the government.
He said that it was directed at members of the DDS, or Diehard Duterte Supporters, whom he was trying to assure that he would do his best as the chief executive’s spokesperson and that “had the president’s back.”
“Hindi dapat pinag-aawayan yung human rights. I consider doing this as a patriotic act, an act that helps the government and it helps the state in stopping EJKs,” La Viña said.
Later, during his first appearance before members of media in Malacañang, Roque said the Palace welcomed the formation of La Viña’s group saying it could help the government determine whether EJKs were actually taking place.
He reiterated the Duterte administration’s policy against EJKs.
Last week, Malacañang appointed Roque—a human rights lawyer who represented many high profile cases including the Maguindanao Massacre and the Gerry Ortega murder case—as the new spokesperson of Duterte, replacing Ernesto Abella.
Roque said he would also advise the president on human rights issues, which have been raised by activists as a serious concern under the administration.
La Viña said it has yet to be seen if Roque would live up to his human rights advocacy.
“Whether Harry will live up to the expectations of his colleagues, his friends, as a human rights lawyer, I think we still have to see it,” the law dean added.
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers President Edre Olalia said Roque’s “digression” from his past as a human rights lawyer does not, in any way, affect their campaign for the respect of human rights.
“But as far as we’re concern, whoever that may be, it does not affect the advocacy for human rights by anybody,” Olalia said.
“Nobody, no matter how eminent, prominent, or outstanding, they do not define human rights advocacy. It is the cause for human rights that defines human rights advocacy and for whom do you fight that cause,” he added.
“We are immaterial. We are just representatives of opinions and positions that need to be articulated in public.
When asked if they would die in envy, Olalia said: “Not at all.”
“He has a job to do. We have an advocacy to continue,” he said. /cbb