POLITICAL PLAN. Presidential Spokesperson "Harry" Roque Jr. shares his remarks during the meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members in Davao City on June 7, 2021. Roque on Tuesday said he is “praying” for guidance on his potential Senate bid in the 2022 elections. (Presidential photo by Joey Dalumpines)
MANILA – Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque is “praying” for guidance on his potential Senate bid in the 2022 elections.
“I continue to ponder and pray,” Roque said in an online presser, when quizzed about his political plans next year.
Roque issued the statement, as he admitted that his decision to withdraw from the 2019 senatorial race due to health reasons was heartbreaking for him.
“Patuloy pa rin po ang pagdadasal ko dahil noong 2019 nga po, nag-plano ako na mag-senador, ako naman po ay nagkasakit at grabe po talaga yung impact sa akin ng disappointment na hindi ako nakatakbo (I continue to pray because in 2019, I planned to run for senator but I fell sick. The impact of disappointment on me due to my decision to withdraw was so bad),” he said.
Roque, a former Kabayan party-list representative, said he had an “unfinished agenda” when he was a lawmaker. He, however, did not elaborate on the matter.
He also acknowledged that raising funds for his possible senatorial bid would be challenging, considering that the country is still grappling with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
“‘Yung pondo kasi sa panahon ng Covid, napakahirap po talagang mag-raise ng pondo at kinakailangan ng napakalaking halaga para makatakbo at manalo sa Senado (It is really difficult to raise funds amid the pandemic. You need a big amount of money to run for and win a Senate seat),” Roque said.
On January 23, Roque said he was unsure of his plans for the 2022 national elections. Three days after, he said he is “bereft of political plans”.
President Rodrigo Duterte first appointed Roque as his spokesperson in October 2017, replacing outgoing Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella.
Roque stepped down as presidential spokesperson in 2018 to run for a seat in the House of Representatives under the Luntiang Pilipinas party-list.
Roque, however, later decided to seek a Senate seat against the advice of Duterte, who believed the former had a slim chance of winning.
He eventually withdrew from the senatorial race during the 2019 mid-term elections due to health reasons.
In April 2020, he returned as Duterte’s spokesperson. (PNA)
