Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) Executive Director Mary Mitzi Cajayon-Uy hold a press briefing for the Malacanang Press Corps at the New Executive Building (NEB) in Malacanang Thursday, 2 November 2017.
Harry Roque was a member of the 17th Congress of the Philippines, representing the party-list group Kabayan or Kabalikat ng Mamamayan.
He is a Filipino lawyer, human rights advocate and law professor. He taught law at the University of the Philippines, teaching constitutional law and public international law for the past 15 years.
He ran for a congressional seat as representative of the party list KABAYAN in the 2016 national elections.
Harry is the first nominee of Kabayan party list. He was the only candidate who travelled and campaigned around all the regions of the country. His campaign led to a successful, sixth place finish out of a total 115 party-list groups for Kabayan in the May 2016 elections
Roque received his Master of Laws with Merits from the London School of Economics in 1996, Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines in 1990, and Bachelor of Arts (Economics & Political Science) from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor in 1986.
Through the advocacy group Centerlaw, Harry and his team represents victims of the 2009 Ampatuan massacre; the Malaya Lolas who were victims of systematic rape and abuse by the Japanese Imperial Army; the family of slain transgender Jennifer Laude; and the family of murdered environmental advocate and media man Gerry Ortega of Palawan.
Harry has argued before the Supreme Court on several occasions. In the Supreme Court website, retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Eduardo B. Nachura identifies Harry "as among those who have impressed him when they had argued before the Supreme Court."
Among the cases that Harry argued before the high court were assailing Presidential Proclamation 1017 and General Order No. 5, placing the country under a State of Emergency partially unconstitutional for infringing on the constitutionality protected rights of free speech, peaceful assembly and freedom of the press.
He is also among the five counsels who were allowed to argue specific issues raised against the Cybercrime Law. On another occasion, he represented the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in arguing that Local Government Officials cannot deny applications for rally permits except on grounds that the conduct of the same will result in a clear and present danger to the State.
On October 27, 2017, Roque was appointed as presidential spokesperson, replacing Ernesto Abella.
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