Roque to ‘consult’ PRRD over 2019 election plans

“I really don’t know. But we’ll find out. We’ll have to make a decision because there’s a deadline to make a decision.” (File Photo: YANCY LIM/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

MANILA — Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday said he will talk to President Rodrigo R. Duterte sometime this month to discuss about his “plans” to seek a Senate seat.

In an interview on ANC’s Headstart, Roque said he has yet to make a decision on his plan to run during either the 2019 mid-term elections or the 2022 general elections.

“I really don’t know. But we’ll find out. We’ll have to make a decision because there’s a deadline to make a decision,” Roque told Headstart anchor Karen Davila.

Roque said he has already made the request to talk to the President within the month.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) earlier said the deadline for filing of candidacy documents for the 2019 local and national mid-term elections will be on October 11-18, excluding Saturday and Sunday.

“I already have made the request to talk to him. Not about issues, but about my plans,” Roque said.

Asked if he already knew which political party to run under, Roque said he is currently a member of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago, the local party of the President when he ran for Davao City mayor.

Duterte is currently chairman of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban). He ran for President under this party in 2016.

“Well, I’m only a member of Hugpong (ng) Pagbabago. I’m not a member of any national party,” Roque said. “I’ll have to decide if I want to join a national party. Of course, there’s PDP Laban and there’s a whole lot list of other national party that are affiliated with the Hugpong (ng) Pagbabago. So we’ll find out.”

Last month, Roque took his oath as member of HNP as an indication of support for Davao City Mayor and presidential daughter Sara Duterte Z. Duterte.

On Monday, Roque said he was not surprised about receiving a low ranking in a recent Pulse Asia survey which showed the top senatorial candidates for the upcoming 2019 polls.

Roque lamented how most senators are elected in office because of fame and power, and not because of possessing the right qualifications.

“It doesn’t come as a surprise. In this country, it’s the children of the senators, those who have been in politics who stand a very good chance of being reelected.

So nothing has changed,” Roque said.

“I’m just an ordinary human being. I don’t belong to any political family, I’m not rich, I’m not surprised. Like everyone else, democracy in the Philippines can be very expensive and depends on who your parents are,” he added.

Last year, Roque said he did not have the resources to run for a Senate post in 2019 despite endorsements from both Duterte and former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.