Manila: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed tough-talking and brilliant rights lawyer Congressman Harry Roque as his new spokesman. They “share the same way of talking”, the President said.
“I’ll start working after we land in Japan because I am part of the President’s delegation to Japan,” Roque said on Saturday. He referred to Duterte’s meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a visit to Tokyo from October 29 to 31. One of the highlights of the meeting is Koeran Peninsula’s security problem,
“The President has not announced the reason [for replacing outgoing spokesman Secretary Ernesto Abella]. What he said was Secretary Abella is really a pastor. The President’s office is not a church. It needs someone who understands what he [the President] means, and the angle [that his statements demand],” explained Roque, adding, “I called up Secretary Abella who said he fully understood what happened.”
Duterte had appointed Abella in 2016 as “one of his spokespersons”; lawyer Salvador Panelo was his main spokesperson. When Panelo was named chief legal counsel, Abella became Duterte’s sole spokesman.
During Roque’s birthday party in Davao City. Southern Philippines on Friday, Duterte said jokingly, “[He is] not a congressman anymore, he’s a secretary already. To get the message clear, Harry will fit [into the new post] because we talk the same way.”
“To make his entrance dramatic, he will attend the Cabinet meeting on Monday [November 6],” announced Duterte. He seemed “very satisfied” with his new cabinet member, said observers.
Roque is adept in human rights and geopolitical issues. He has represented and won many controversial cases. He won the case of transgender Jennifer Laude who was killed by American servicemen Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton, in Olongapo, the former US Naval Base in 2014.
Roque secured the writ of amparo (protection) for broadcaster Nilo Baculo Sr from the Supreme Court in 2007. After it was remanded by the Court of Appeals, Baculo was gunned down in 2014.
Roque represented some heirs of the 28 victims of the massacre perpetuated by former Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr in an elections-related incident in Maguindanao, southern Philippines in November 2009.
Roque helped the Boracay Foundation secure a Temporary Environmental Protection Order (TEPO) in 2012 — to stop the reclamation of 42 hectares of land in Caticlan, central Philippines — due to the absence of studies and guarantees that it would not damage the pristine tourist destination.
Roque was the lawyer of environmental activist and media man Gerry Ortega who was shot dead in Puerto Princesa, southwestern Philippines in 2011. It resulted in the conviction of former Governor Joel Reyes — accused by Ortega of allegedly misusing royalties from the Malampaya gasfield operations off Palawan.
