Roque says it’s up to Duterte whether to fire him this early

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday said it would be up to President Rodrigo Duterte whether to remove him from his post or not after a pro-Duterte blogger called for his resignation.

“It’s a matter that he should address to the President because the President appointed me,” Roque said in a Palace briefing on Tuesday.

Roque’s statement came after blogger and Duterte supporter RJ Nieto, owner of Facebook page “Thinking Pinoy,” wanted Roque to resign after defending the mainstream media.

But Roque stands by what he said.

“I stated what I think is right, and I stated what I think is true,” he said.

He had earlier said he would explain to Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson and rabid Duterte supporters the role of critical media in exposing the anomalies of the past administration.

Amid a call for his resignation, he said he would tell Duterte that Nieto wanted him to be removed from his post.

“What I will do is I will facilitate receipt of this information by the President. I will tell the President that Mr. Nieto has said that I should be removed. I will relay that to the President,” he said.

Nieto said the President made a mistake in appointing Roque.

Nieto drew flak after he said on his radio program that Roque should throw hollow blocks at a member of the Malacañang Press Corps.

This was after Roque said that he would do such at stubborn critics of Duterte.

While Roque called on the President’s supporters not to throw anything at legitimate media practioners, he said in a Facebook post on Monday that Nieto did not mean it (throw hollow blocks at a reporter) literally.

“The figurative statement in question was made in jest and must not be taken seriously. Let us not make a mountain out of a molehill,” Roque said.