Harry Roque facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harry Roque
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Roque in 2017
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| Presidential Spokesperson | |
| In office April 13, 2020 – November 15, 2021 |
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| President | Rodrigo Duterte |
| Deputy | China Jocson |
| Preceded by | Salvador Panelo |
| Succeeded by | Karlo Nograles |
| In office October 30, 2017 – October 15, 2018 |
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| President | Rodrigo Duterte |
| Deputy | China Jocson |
| Preceded by | Ernesto Abella |
| Succeeded by | Salvador Panelo |
| IATF-EID Spokesperson | |
| In office April 23, 2020 – November 15, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Karlo Nograles |
| Succeeded by | Karlo Nograles |
| Member of the Philippine House of Representatives for Kabayan party-list |
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| In office July 25, 2016 – October 30, 2017 Serving with Ron Salo
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| Succeeded by | Ciriaco Calalang |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Herminio Harry Lopez Roque Jr.
October 21, 1966 Pasay, Philippines |
| Political party | People's Reform Party (2018–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
KABAYAN Partylist (2015–2017) Hugpong ng Pagbabago (2018–present) |
| Spouse |
Mylah Reyes
(m. 1999) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Quezon City |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan (B.A.) University of the Philippines Diliman (LL.B.) London School of Economics (LL.M.) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Herminio Harry Lopez Roque Jr. (born October 21, 1966) is a Filipino lawyer, politician, and former law professor. He served as the presidential spokesperson for President Rodrigo Duterte. He held this role from 2017 to 2018 and again from 2020 to 2021.
Before becoming a spokesperson, he was a party-list representative for KABAYAN from 2016 to 2017. Mr. Roque also taught constitutional law and public international law for 15 years at the University of the Philippines College of Law. In his legal work, he represented victims of a terrible event in Maguindanao and the family of Jennifer Laude.
President Rodrigo Duterte asked Mr. Roque to be his presidential spokesperson. He was officially appointed on October 27, 2017, taking over from Ernesto Abella. Later, on November 22, 2017, he was also named a presidential adviser for human rights. Mr. Roque is a member of the Advisory Council of the Asian Society of International Law (AsianSIL) and was its president from 2018 to 2019.
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Education and Learning
Mr. Roque studied at several well-known universities. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and political science from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1986. He then received his Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1990. Later, he completed his Master of Laws with honors from the London School of Economics between 1996 and 1998.
Legal Work and Advocacy
Mr. Roque was one of the people who started the advocacy group Center for International Law (Centerlaw). Through this group, he and his team helped many people. They represented victims of the 2009 Maguindanao incident. They also helped the Malaya Lolas, who were victims of abuse during World War II. Additionally, they supported the family of Jennifer Laude and the family of Gerry Ortega, an environmental advocate and media person from Palawan.
Mr. Roque has presented cases before the Supreme Court many times. A retired Supreme Court Justice, Antonio Eduardo B. Nachura, mentioned him as one of the lawyers who made a strong impression when arguing cases there.
Important Cases in Court
Some of the important cases Mr. Roque argued before the Supreme Court include questioning President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Presidential Proclamation 1017. This proclamation placed the country under a State of Emergency. He argued that parts of it were unconstitutional because they affected rights like free speech and peaceful assembly. He was also one of five lawyers allowed to argue specific issues against the Cybercrime Law. In another case, he represented the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. He argued that local government officials cannot stop rally permits unless there is a clear danger to the state.
Mr. Roque also helped the Boracay Foundation get a Temporary Environmental Protection Order (TEPO). This order stopped the reclamation of 42 hectares of land in Caticlan. This was because there were no studies to guarantee it would not harm Boracay Island. He also won the first ever petition for the Writ of Amparo for a journalist. This writ helps protect people's rights.
Mentoring Law Students
Mr. Roque guided and coached several UP College of Law moot teams. These teams won many competitions. For example, in 2015, a team he mentored won the Oxford Price Moot Court Competition in Oxford, UK, beating 91 other teams. He also mentored teams that won prizes in the Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot Competition in Hong Kong in 2015 and a championship in 2005. In 2012, a team he coached reached the semi-finals of the Jessup International Law Moot Court competition in Washington, D.C.
In 2021, the Philippine government nominated Mr. Roque to the International Law Commission. He proposed an international agreement for fair access to COVID-19 vaccines. He also suggested recognizing the permanent presence of states that might go underwater due to global warming.
Political Career
Serving as a Congressman
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After becoming a congressman in the 17th Congress, Mr. Roque left his role at the Center for International Law (Centerlaw). He was a main author of several important laws. These include the Universal Health Coverage Law, which aims to provide health care for everyone. He also helped create the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act and the Free Irrigation Service Act. He was also involved in a law establishing a national feeding program for public school students. Another key law he supported was the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.
Mr. Roque was also one of three representatives who supported the impeachment case against the former Comelec chairman, Andres Bautista.
Role as Presidential Spokesperson
Mr. Roque started his role as President Duterte's presidential spokesperson on November 6, 2017. President Duterte said that Mr. Roque was a good fit for the job. Mr. Roque explained that his job required him to clearly explain the President's views and positions.
Senate Elections
In October 2018, Mr. Roque showed interest in running for a Senate seat in the 2019 elections. He later filed his Certificate of Candidacy for Senator on October 17. However, on February 1, 2019, Mr. Roque withdrew from the 2019 Senatorial race due to a health condition.
Returning as Spokesperson
In April 2020, Mr. Roque returned to his role as President Duterte's presidential spokesperson. He replaced Salvador Panelo, who had taken over from him in 2018. During the COVID-19 pandemic, on April 13, 2020, Mr. Roque also became the spokesperson for the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
2022 Senate Elections
Mr. Roque filed his certificate of candidacy for the 2022 Senate election on November 15, 2021. This meant he automatically resigned from his spokesperson positions. He ran under the People's Reform Party. Mr. Roque did not win a seat in the Senate elections, finishing 17th.
Personal Life
Mr. Roque is a Protestant. In October 1999, he married Mylah Reyes, who was a television reporter. They met during a congressional hearing. The couple has two children.
