Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque reportedly spent a million pesos just to convince members of the United Nations to elect him as one of the International Law tribunal members. This, despite disavowals made by Roque’s own alma mater, the University of the Philippines specifically the College of Law where Roque once served as a professor, and by several of his colleagues from the legal profession.
Roque was even called “baboy” or “pig” by protestors who stormed the restaurant where Roque was serving hosts to these members of the UN. In a video of the incident, one may visually feel how angry these protestors were, upon seeing a visually rotund Roque leaving the restaurant under intense guard by the restaurant’s security. How sad!
Several moons ago, Roque was even feted so many times by the Filipino-American community for his pro-country advocacy. Hate began accumulating against Roque when he accepted the presidential spokesperson ship post from the so-called war criminal, Philippine president Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Many said that Roque accepted the job because it was a sure fire way for him to win a Senate seat– a plan that he hatched several years ago, but remains as elusive as ever.
Unfortunately again, Roque’s hopes for a senate win were dashed when his friend, presidential daughter Sara Duterte decided to just run for re-election as Mayor of Davao City. Roque promised that he will only run for the Senate if Sara runs for president. Until now, Sara refuses to get herself dragged into this mess created by no less than the “friends” of his father.
So, Roque is now in a bind. He is hated by most if not all groups in the Philippines. Of course, who does not know the billion peso project that Roque’s wife, the former Myla Reyes, have in Mariveles Bataan? By the way, Mrs. Roque was appointed as member of the Board of Trustees of PAGIBIG–a firm that grants housing loans to Filipinos. Is having your own real estate project some sort of a conflict of interest, maybe? Probably not because Ms. Reyes-Roque is a managing director of one of the real estate developers of the project despite her inclusion as trustees since 2017.
Poor Harry.
