By Lade Jean Kabagani / Philippine News Agency
Secretary Harry Roque described his journey as Malacañang spokesperson as “mission accomplished”, a few hours before he went to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday to file his certificate of candidacy (COC) for senator in the May 2022 elections.
“Ito na po ang huling araw na makakasama niyo ako bilang inyong presidential spox, IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases] spox at spox ng bayan. Masaya akong mission accomplished na po tayo ha. Iiwan ko ang trabaho ng mas mabuti kumpara sa ating nadatnan,” Roque said in his last Palace press briefing.
Under the law, appointive government officials are deemed resigned after they filed their COC.
Roque, a former congressman, is running for senator under the People’s Reform Party, substituting Paolo Mario Martelino on the final day of filing for substitution for the 2022 national and local elections.
“Babalik po tayo sa larangan ng pulitika, babalik po tayo sa Kongreso ng Pilipinas, doon po sa Kamara ng Senado. Nagpaalam na tayo kay Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte at kay Mayor Sara Duterte para sa panibagong hamon na aking haharapin na mula sa inyong pagiging spox ay nais ko pong maging action man sa Senado,” said Roque.
He said his move was also the fulfillment of his promise to Sara that he would run for senator if the presidential daughter would seek a national post.
On Saturday, Sara filed her COC to run for vice president to heed “the people’s clamor to serve the country”.
Abolition of substitution system
Asked if he would support the abolition of the substitution system if gets elected as senator, Roque said what he would push is to transfer the deadline of filing of COC from October to November “if we are to do away with the substitution”.
“What I will support is to shorten the period from the time of filing of the certificate of candidacy and the election period,” Roque said.
Roque made his reaction after some senators proposed a bill that would amend the Omnibus Election Code to remove withdrawal as one of the grounds for candidate substitution.
“Siguro dapat gawin natin ang last day of filing talaga dahil ang kinakailangan lang naman talaga ay yung lead time para maprint ang balota eh gawin nating once and for all eh November na siguro nang maalis na yung substitution,” Roque, a former law professor in the University of the Philippines, said.
Under the present system, he said candidates have to wait until February from the time they filed their COCs in the first week of October before they can start campaigning for election.
“Wala po akong nakikitang dahilan kung bakit napakatagal naman iyong last day of filing at saka iyong start ng election period. Dapat po siguro paikliin iyang period na iyan if we are to do away with the substitution,” Roque said.
Roque first became Duterte’s spokesperson in October 2017 until he resigned the following year to run for a seat in the House of Representatives under the Luntiang Pilipinas party-list.
He later decided to run for senator under PRP but eventually withdrew after suffering from “unstable angina coronary disease”.
Roque then returned as Duterte’s spokesperson in April last year. (PNA)-rir
