FORMER presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. did a complete about-face on Wednesday, October 17, when he withdrew his plan of seeking a seat at the House of Representatives and instead file a candidacy for senator before the Commission on Elections.
Roque made the latest move despite President Rodrigo Duterte's proposal for him to stay in the administration and drop his plan to run for senator.
His filing of certificate of candidacy (COC) for senator was a total opposite of his pronouncement on Monday, October 15, that he would run as representative of Luntian Pilipinas Party-list, an environmental party-list group.
Roque will run under the People's Reform Party (PRP) of the late senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, even after he was included in the senatorial line-up for the 2019 midterm elections of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
On his official Facebook page, Roque still indicated on Tuesday, October 17, that he would file a certificate of nomination for the Luntian Pilipinas party-list in a bid to promote "environmental protection and awareness among Filipinos."
But during the filing of COC, Roque said he changed his mind and decided to pursue his initial plan to run for senator to go after the "corrupt and stupid" government officials.
"'Yung ating puso talaga ay nasa Senado... Papakita po natin sa talino, sa katapangan at sa integridad na maninilbihan po tayo ng tapat sa taumbayan (My heart is at the... We will show that intelligence, bravery, and integrity are enough to serve the people with honesty)," he said.
Roque said he would continue to support the Duterte government, even after he decided to run under PRP and not PDP-Laban.
"I would wish that the President will endorse me. Until now, I think he is the best president under existing conditions. And of course, I will continue to defend the President kahit ano po ang mangyari (whatever happens), even if I will cease to speak for him," he said.
Roque served as Duterte's spokesperson and presidential adviser on human rights. Before being appointed in the executive, he was a representative of Kabayan party-list. (SunStar Philippines)