Harry Roque and the public to know

THE newly-minted presidential spokesperson, Harry Roque, who was also Kabayan partylist representative in Congress, eventually get more attention than any spokespersons in the past. For one, he “figuratively” insinuated that he will throw off hollow blocks to the critics of the president, which gained the applause from the supporters.

But when he mentioned on telling supporters to go on easy towards the media, and reminded them of the role of the “mainstream” media, administration supporters, especially of the president, took this as a quick flip-flop and a “betrayal.” But did he? If I would be the new presidential spokesperson, I might also get the ire of the supporters, because I will do similar things to Roque. There was something amiss, and that the supporters, especially those social media personalities and bloggers who took “offense” on Roque’s remarks, might misunderstood him by a wide gap.

This can be because of his choice of words. So, what triggered? First, was that on Roque’s pronouncements on “going easy” with the mainstream media, despite the supporters suspicions that there was a deliberate and orchestrated effort to paint this administration with all the negativity.

Second, was Roque saying that he will talk with undersecretary Margaux “Mocha” Uson, who is famous of her social media presence the Mocha Uson Blog, on the role of the media in the society. The second took it negatively because Roque also intended to “lecture” not only Mocha but also the many “DDS (Die-hard Duterte Supporters).”

For most of them, they believed that Roque underestimated the thinking capacity of the administration supporters, and by doing so, he did more defending the mainstream news media who have the tendency to destroy the reputation of the Duterte administration.

SSCagayan