Duterte hails Roque for being a “fighter for human rights”

October 28, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday praised his former spokesperson Harry Roque for being a “fighter for human rights.”

During his speech in Bacolod City, Duterte said he understands Roque’s flip-flopping decisions on whether he will run for a Senate seat or not.

“He keeps on changing not really because he is not a decided fellow but apparent though --- apparently everyday he weighs his chances or the averages of is he winning or losing,” he said.

Duterte also retracted his earlier statement that Roque had slim chance of winning a Senate seat.

“I think if you have this kind of senator, he is a fighter for human rights,” he said.

The President acknowledged that Roque was one of his critics when he was still a mayor of Davao City.

“I took it as part of the territory of being there in the office. Not an enemy in politics nothing personal but criticizing me of course you can,” he added.

When Roque was still his spokesman, Duterte, in front of the soldiers in Malacanang, said that the former would not win in the senatorial race, thus, he offered him another post.

But Roque filed his certificate of candidacy for senator on October 17 after initially saying that he would just be a nominee for a party-list group.

He will run under the People’s Reform Party (PRP), which was also the party of late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, after being endorsed by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. Ella Dionisio/DMS