Roque on pro-Duterte blogger critical of him: I serve at the pleasure of the president

November 7, 2017

Newly-appointed Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Tuesday he serves at the pleasure of the appointing power.

This was his message to a pro-Duterte blogger who said Duterte seemed wrong in choosing Roque as his spokesman.

Roque earlier reminded pro-Duterte bloggers to respect the mainstream media because they were responsible in exposing the faults of the previous administrations, which contributed to the election of Duterte to the presidency.

"Well, it’s a matter that he should address to the president because the president appointed me," he said in reply to blogger RJ Nieto.

"We serve at the pleasure of the president. All Cabinet members serve at the pleasure of the president," he added.

Nieto even called his followers to share the message regarding Duterte's apparent mistake in appointing Roque so that it could reach the president.

"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," Roque said.

He reiterated that when he was appointed as spokesman, the two marching orders to him were to do what is right and stay to the truth.

"I stated what I think is right, and I stated what I think is true. I am a spokesperson, I deal with the Malacañang Press Corps and I have long been an advocate of freedom of expression. I leave it at that," Roque said.

"That’s the nature of this freedom. I do not deprive the social bloggers of their freedoms as well, and I take all the criticisms as valid inputs in the free marketplace of ideas," he added. Celerina Monte/DMS