PRESIDENTIAL Spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday, November 9, 2021, brushed off the growing opposition against his possible election as country representative at the United Nations International Law Commission (ILC), a body that develops and codifies international law.
Roque undermined the move of the 152 lawyers to sign and submit a letter urging members of the United Nations General Assembly not to vote for him, noting they only represent 0.001 percent of the lawyers nationwide.
He said it was only part of “political noise.”
“Tinututulan po nila tayo dahil ang pagiging spokesperson daw po natin ay meron daw tayong guilt by association sa President. Unang-una, there is no such thing as that. Pangalawa, wala pa pong napatunayang krimen laban sa Presidente. Ang preliminary investigation po ay laban sa drug war sa Pilipinas, ni hindi po ito laban kay Presidente (Rodrigo) Duterte at ito po ay nasa preliminary investigation pa lamang at lahat ng paratang ay paratang,” he said in a televised press briefing.
“Tanggap ko na po na meron pong ilang Pilipino na hindi matatanggal ang utak talangka,” he added.
Roque said he is confident that ILC will scrutinize the qualification of all the candidates amid the bashing.
Earlier, Roque said that for over 30 years, he had been an advocate of human rights, citing his experience as the counsel of journalist and the families of the victims of the Ampatuan massacre, fishermen in Panatag Shoal, “comfort women” of World War 2 and the families of Darius Evangelista and Jennifer Laude who were tortured by cops and killed by an American military personnel, respectively. (SunStar Philippines)