Former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque is doing an about-face from his previous statements as he admitted Sunday that President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial kiss with an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in South Korea was “inappropriate.”
During his guesting in comedian Vice Ganda’s “Gandang Gabi Vice” aired over ABS-CBN, Roque was asked if he thinks the President has done or said anything inappropriate.
He quickly responded saying, “Meron naman siyempre. Naku, unang-una ‘yung kissing. Akala ko mamamatay ako nun. ‘Yung kissing in Korea.”
Roque was referring to the June incident in Seoul, South Korea, where Duterte kissed an OFW onstage during his meeting with the Filipino community there.
Duterte was heavily criticized for his gesture but Roque was then quick to defend the President, saying he found the “kiss a light moment that is very accepted in the culture of Filipinos.”
Asked why he had a different stance four months ago, Roque, Duterte’s former spokesperson, said it was his job to defend the President.
“E trabaho ko ‘yun. Trabaho ko talaga ‘yun,” he said.