Roque hits ‘unfair’ question on honor, excellence in TV interview

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Wednesday called out a television anchor after being asked about his thoughts on the termination of the accord between the University of the Philippines and Department of National Defense.

Roque took aim at CNN Philippines anchor Pinky Webb, who sought his reaction to UP journalism professor Danilo Arao’s challenge to the UP alumni in government to “denounce” the abrogation of the deal that prohibited the military and police from entering UP campuses without prior notice.

“This disregards everything that UP stands for. Should they remain silent, a six-word question: Where is your honor and excellence?” Arao wrote on Twitter on Monday.

In response, Roque said, “It was not a fair question. I’m not duty-bound to follow anything that Danny Arao says.”

Webb clarified that she did not say that Roque, a UP alumnus and former member of its faculty, was “duty-bound” to heed Arao’s call.

“Yes, but you were wrong. You were implying as if I had to follow what Danny Arao has said. What is the basis for that?” Roque replied.

Webb responded that the basis of her question was Arao’s tweet, but Roque insisted that “it’s not just a reaction, you wanted me to answer Danny Arao. Why should I? And it’s not fair on your end to do that.”

“It’s implying that I should follow what Danny Arao says. And where’s the basis? Tell your viewers now!” he said. “You’re pushing the point.”

Roque asked Webb to exercise fairness which the anchor said she tried to demonstrate during the interview.

“No, you were not. It’s as if, if I don’t agree with Arao that I have no sense of excellence or honor,” Roque said, to which Webb replied, “Absolutely not, I never meant that. Please don’t think that, Secretary Roque. I would have never meant that.”

Webb then asked Roque how he would like to end their discussion about the accord.

“I already said it. I have never experienced being in UP with soldiers or military and I’d like to facilitate the discussion between the UP President and the Secretary of National Defense,” he said.

This is not the first time that Roque berated a member of CNN Philippines on live television.

Roque scolded CNN Philippines' Malacañang reporter Triciah Terrada during his regular press briefing last May for what he believed was an erroneous report on his statement about mass testing for COVID-19.

It turned out that Terrada did not write the story, prompting calls for him to apologize.

“Well whatever it is that I owe Trish, I’ve talked to Trish and whatever it is that I should do, I’ve done it,” Roque said in an ANC interview last May 20.

“But I also feel that as the Malacañang reporter, she should have corrected the story of her news outfit particularly because it’s her beat.”—LDF, GMA News