MANILA – Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the person who leaked the video of his rant against a group of doctors during a meeting may be held accountable for violating the Data Privacy Act.
Roque announced in a press conference that he leaving it up to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) the filing of charges against the person.
“Sa tingin ko po liable. Liable din po for revealing public secrets pero hahayaan ko na po ‘yan sa IATF. At ‘yan naman po ay napag-usapan kanina sa IATF (I think that person is liable. He or she is also liable for revealing public secrets but I am leaving that to the IATF. That was already discussed by the IATF earlier),” he said.
He also dismissed calls for him and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to be fired by President Rodrigo Duterte, citing issues in the government’s Covid-19 response.
“Unfortunately, only the President can fire me and only the President can fire Secretary Duque,” he said.
In the leaked video dated Sept. 7, Roque blasted medical professionals who questioned the downgrading of quarantine rules in Metro Manila because hospitals were inundated with Covid-19 spikes.
Roque later admitted that he became upset when Dr. Maricar Limpin, president of the Philippine College of Physicians, and Dr. Antonio Dans, convenor of the Health Care Professionals Alliance Against Covid-19, pleaded for the continued hard lockdown in Metro Manila.
“Unang-una po, kinukimpirma ko po na tayo po’y naging emosyonal at pasensiya naman po kayo at tao lamang (First and foremost, I confirm that I became emotional. And I apologize. I’m just a human),” Roque said in a press briefing on Sept. 10.
However, he said that he did not curse or reprimand them during the meeting.
“Hindi po ako nagmura. Naging emosyonal po ako (I did not curse. I was just emotional). Now, apology? ‘Yung mga na-offend ko sa manner, I apologize kung na-offend ko kayo sa manner (I apologize to those who got offended by my manner of speaking),” he said.
Roque’s temper was retaliated against by several healthcare professionals, who said he had “gone overboard”.
