Roque on departure from Malacañang: 'I'm back to the old person I was'

Following his departure from Malacañang, former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday said he is now free to advocate his personal beliefs.

In a press conference in Malacañang, Roque said that with his resignation, he would be able to freely voice his opinions on matters close to him, something that he could not do as presidential spokesperson.

"It's time to be my own person again... Nothing has changed. I'm back to the old person that I was," said Roque.

"I knew that as a spokesperson, I had no personal views. That period has ended and I'm able now to freely advocate for the many issues that are close to my heart," he elaborated.

Roque, a human rights advocate, last year said he considered accepting the position of presidential spokesperson to discuss human rights with President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte has been constantly criticized by local and international groups for the killings done during his administration's campaign against illegal drugs.

The President's kiss

In the same press conference, Roque also changed his tune regarding Duterte's act of kissing a Filipino woman on the lips during a meeting with the Filipino community in South Korea.

"It's a playful act. There was no malice in it. The woman made it clear that she didn't think there was malice in it. It was all intended as a light moment and let's leave it at that," Roque said in June.

On Monday, however, Roque said he personally believed that the incident was too much.

"Honestly, I thought the kissing scene was a bit too much," he told reporters, adding that he thought of pulling away the President.

"I believe that serving the countrymen is through serving the President, which includes defending him when he did not do anything wrong," he added. —KG, GMA News