I voluntarily left the government service after working under two presidents of our Republic and I don’t envy the role of Atty. Harry Roque. Being the spokesman of President Duterte is a high wire act that requires the ultimate balancing skills particularly when the official line conflicts with one’s own personal conviction. For instance, such a disconcerting position came to fore when Atty. Roque was explaining the absolute pardon granted by his principal to US Lance Corporal Marine Scott Pemberton who killed transgender Jennifer Laude inside a hotel in Olongapo City after he realized that Laude was a man. As a former human-rights lawyer who even acted as counsel for the victim, I can only share Atty. Roque’s discomfiture as he appeared on TV salvaging a bad situation from the worst.
We all know where his heart is but his job dictates him to do otherwise. Earlier, Roque found himself in a difficult position when Maria Ressa was convicted by the court in the libel case lodged against her. I believe his fellow international human-rights activist, Amal Alamuddin Clooney, who has championed the cause of Maria Ressa, has said it all when she stated: “Ladies and gentlemen, the President’s own spokesman, Harry Roque, has stated that freedom of speech is a “cherished right” essential to truth, democracy, and the ability to go after “despotic regimes…. The spokesman argued that the cyber libel law used to convict Maria is “draconian,” “infringes freedom of expression”, and shows that the government is “insecure and unable to compete in the marketplace of ideas.” Eating one’s words is hard to digest.
The herculean task of Roque is more complex than just cleaning the stables. Tackling the coronavirus and the myriad woes it brings is not a job of one man. It requires the entire government machinery backed up by all the myriad resources we can raise and borrow from all available sources. And communicating all the government programs and policies to overcome this worst crisis that has engulfed our country fell on the lap of hapless Roque. There is no place for miscommunication or lack of communication under the current exigency. This pandemic calls for decisiveness; it will not brook incoherence, which only creates confusion and chaos. What is required is a communicator who can spell out the government message in simple terms. And Roque is up to that and, whether speaking in English or Pilipino, he can transmit clearcut policies that the public can understand and rely upon. As an experienced barrister, he can think on his toes and parry complex questions raised by the media and the public. As a respected professor of law for many years, he is updated with the current trends and can read the public pulse. What is warranted is clear messaging to avoid any confusion and misinterpretation of the rules adopted by the authorities. This is an overwhelming challenge to our leaders who seem to speak with as many voices as the experts that they have. The public can only respond properly and correctly if they are fully informed of the true state of affairs. The authorities can get full cooperation if a rule or requirement is clearly transmitted without any room for misinformation or doubt. Timely and accurate information are needed. With the advent of social media, the public is swamped with news. In this age of digital media, we are bombarded with information from multiple sources 24/7 and unless the public is discerning, there is hardly any opportunity to distinguish facts from fake news; to sort truth from lies. Access to information is not an issue. The issue is how reliable and accurate the information is. People’s anxiety and pressure are minimized when the critical information originated from a trusted source. The source should be honest, candid, trustworthy and credible.
He has committed faux pas as our official communicator but who wouldn’t under the circumstances? Like when he announced that we had defeated the virus after the UP predicted numbers did not happen. He has been our most enthusiastic cheerleader and he’s ready to claim small victories in our fight to overcome the coronavirus. And we can forgive him for that. We all love to be winners. A ray of sunlight can brighten up our dreary day.
The first spox of President Duterte, the former evangelist Ernesto Abella, took his job as a pastoral duty. His words and demeanor were antithetical to the President whose coarse language never fails to invite controversy. Atty. Sal Panelo, his successor, was his exact opposite. As a trained lawyer who is faithful to his craft, he could not avoid being a legalese which is greek to many. Returning to his old job as the President’s Special Counsel is the ideal place for him. When Atty. Roque took over the position from former Congressman Karlo Nograles, I think he knew the awesome responsibilities that he would be facing. While the mild-mannered and soft-speaking Nograles was a picture of calm in the face of the rampaging pandemic, the leadership needed a more active and assertive spokesman who can communicate the message with force and aplomb. It is imperative that the government conveys that it is in complete control of the situation. Atty. Harry Roque, whether you like him or not, is the face of our government’s war against the pandemic. He may have his flaws and shortcomings, but he’s got what it takes to tussle with the virus. He has the gift of gab and prodigious talent to confront the issue. As Marshall McLuhan had stated many decades ago, “the medium is the message.”
1 comment
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