Roque in US on official UN trip amid pandemic

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday said he is in the United States for an official trip amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I am here in the United States for an official visit to the United Nations [in New York] for the UN International Law week," Roque said in a press briefing.

"I am one of the officials from the Office of the President and [delegation from the] Department of Foreign Affairs. My wife is with me, but on my account," he added.

Roque has been nominated by the Philippine government for a seat in the International Law Commission (ILC), a United Nations body.

ILC was founded by the UN General Assembly in 1974 to initiate studies and make recommendations for encouraging progressive development of international law and its codification.

Roque cited his being a professor for international law at the UP College of Law in Diliman for 15 years as one of his qualifications for the ILC post.

His bid, however, has been opposed by the UP Diliman Executive Committee and the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG).

The UP Diliman Executive Committee argued that Roque has a very poor track record of promoting, defending and fulfilling human rights and the rule of law, especially during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte in which he serves as a Cabinet member.

FLAG, for his part, said Roque is unqualified for such a post because of his defense of extrajudicial killings committed by authorities amid the anti-drug war, as well as his belittling the competence of International Criminal Court (ICC) in probing these killings.

Roque has dismissed these opposition, saying they were politically motivated. —KG, GMA News