Roque admits he wants to run in 2019 senatorial polls

March 16, 2018

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque admitted on Friday he wants to run in the Senate in the 2019 mid-term elections.

"Do I want to run? Yes, I do," Roque said in a Facebook interview. But he reiterated that he lacks funds to bankroll his candidacy.

He explained that a candidate needs at least P500 million to reach many Filipinos through television advertisements.

"As you know, becoming a senator now is like a commodity that is being sold in the market. The top expense now is TV ads," Roque said as he explained there is "correlation" between the chance of winning in the election and the frequency of TV ads.

He added once he decides to run, six months before the polls, he has to quit as spokesman.

"Six months is equivalent to a lifetime in politics. So if you don't spend for the TV ads, they will totally forget you. When it comes to news, there is also a limitation on the number of minutes or seconds that you could be covered by the media and you cannot exceed. So, you don't have a choice but to buy time by way of advertisement," Roque explained.

He said this is the weakness of the system in the country.

Roque, a lawyer, explained that the state should not allow a candidate in the election to spend because it means that only the rich candidates or those who have wealthy supporters could afford to seek government posts during the polls.

"It should be an obligation of all to spend (for candidates) in order to get the best leaders in our country. But right now, that's the reality," he lamented.

"Am I disappointed? Of course, I am. Do I want to run? Yes, I do. But the reality is 14 months from now, you need 500 million (pesos), that's minimum," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS