ALL of a sudden, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque seems to be on a rampage and itching to go on a debate against the three top critics of the Duterte administration.
In a press briefing, Roque said he would want to stand on the floor debating whoever would dare go against him — Vice President Leni Robredo, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, or even retired Supreme Court associate justice Antonio Carpio.
But with Carpio and del Rosario uninterested in facing him, Roque is setting his sights on Robredo with whom he wanted to clash on whether or not President Rodrigo Duterte had given away any Philippine territory to China under his administration.
According to Roque, Robredo, too, has been among the most vocal in insisting that the Philippines lost territories under the Duterte administration.
“Ang importante po yung debate, VP. Kung talagang ayaw ni Associate Justice na makipagdebate sa ordinaryong abogado gaya ko dahil siya ay retiradong mahistrado ng Supreme Court, tayo po, magdebate po tayo kasi gaya ni Associate Justice Carpio, wala pong tigil ang pagsabi niyo na nagbigay ng teritoryo ang Presidente.”
Asked what compelled him to pick on Robredo, Roque said: “Dahil wala ring tigil si VP Leni, baka gusto nya kaming dalawa na lang.”
Duterte has backed out from a debate with Carpio that he himself called for and instead tapped Roque to represent him. Meanwhile, Carpio rejected a debate with Roque over what he called as “pointless” issues.
“Once and for all, meron dapat tumayo sa hanay ng oposisyon para magdebate kung talagang ang Presidente Duterte ang namimigay ng teritoryo sa Tsina o kung ibang mga administrasyon,” Roque said.