Consistency is a tough ask from many politicians but it’s still shocking whenever stark shifts in their rhetoric are pointed out.
Case in point is Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque who yesterday expressed support for President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to have opposition Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV arrested, following the revocation of his amnesty granted in 2010.
On the same day, however, Roque admitted in a tweet that he once considered Trillanes an ally.
I considered Sen. Trillanes an ally at one point in time. I am sure he also considered President Duterte an asset when Sen. Trillanes wanted to be PRRD’s VP.
Happy siya kay PRRD noon. pic.twitter.com/JTR8FIJc1C
— Harry Roque (@attyharryroque) September 6, 2018
His tweet comes just a day after netizens unearthed an old blog post he wrote where he called Trillanes a “hero” for the very reason he was detained.
Roque’s blog is now set to private but a report from Interaksyon linked to an archived version of the sentimental post.
Titled “A Christmas tribute to Trillanes,” it was published just days after Trillanes was released from jail following an amnesty granted by then-President Benigno Aquino III.
“Whenever I feel tired of standing up against evil in government and have the occasional urge to retire into the stereotype of an upwardly mobile lawyer, I think of Sonny Trillanes and the many years that he spent behind bars fighting a regime and a system that is rotten and evil to the core,” Roque wrote.
Trillanes, a Navy officer, was detained for about seven years for his participation in two coup attempts against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Roque ended his blog post by wishing Trillanes a Merry Christmas. “But lest we forget, hero as he is, he too is human. I can only imagine Sonny’s happiness as he celebrates his first Christmas with his very young children as a free man,” he wrote.
While Roque has admitted that he used to be on Trillanes’ side, his latest tweet did not come without shade.
In his tweet, he also pointed out that like him, Trillanes has had a change of heart when it comes to his political leanings.
“I am sure he also considered President Duterte an asset when Sen. Trillanes wanted to be PRRD’s (President Rodrigo R. Duterte) VP. He was happy with PRRD at the time,” Roque said in Filipino and English.
Last year, Duterte claimed that Trillanes hoped to be his running mate in the 2016 presidential elections.
Today, Trillanes is one of the president’s toughest critics. Duterte hasn’t been easy on him either, even alleging that Trillanes has undeclared wealth hidden in offshore bank accounts.
On Tuesday, it was made public that Duterte has revoked Trillanes’ amnesty, allegedly because the senator failed to submit the proper documents for it, a claim Trillanes’ camp denies.
Other senators have given Trillanes sanctuary within the Senate building’s premises, where the senator has been sleeping since Wednesday.
Yesterday, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, another opposition senator, shared reports that there are plans to “illegally arrest” Trillanes that night or over the weekend when the courts are closed.
We have received reports from friends in the media that there may be an attempt to illegally arrest Sen trillanes either tonight, or over the weekend when the Courts are closed.
— Kiko Pangilinan (@kikopangilinan) September 6, 2018
However, Duterte said today that he will not order a military arrest and will wait for the courts to issue an arrest warrant against Trillanes.
The Department of Justice today asked a Makati City Regional Trial Court to order Trillanes’ arrest.
