Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (File photo) MANILA - Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Sunday lashed out at the daily broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) for publishing two reports about groups opposing his nomination for a seat at the UN International Law Commission (ILC), a body of experts tasked with developing and codifying international law. Roque said "malice is present" in PDI's two stories titled "Protests mar Roque's New York City reception" and "Asia-Pacific lawyers' group opposes nomination of Roque to UN commission", which were both published on Sunday. "The Philippine Daily Inquirer's malice is very clear in its two recent stories against me regarding my candidature for the ILC. It is effectively a persecution," he said in a press statement. He pointed out that the first PDI report quoted protesters who referred to him as a "war criminal" and a "human rights violator" and edito
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (Facebook photo) MANILA - Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque condemned on Saturday the violent protest of New York-based Filipino militants who are against his nomination for a seat at the International Law Commission (ILC). Roque, who is in the United States for the annual United Nations (UN) International Law Week, was at a private cocktail party at Aretsky's PatroonRestaurant & Rooftop Bar in Manhattan on Friday night (Saturday morning,Philippine time) when members of Bayan USA and its allied organization staged a protest at the restaurant to oppose his nomination to the ILC. Protesters chanted "Roque out of ILC!" and "No justice, no peace. Stop the killings in the Philippines!". In a video uploaded on Bayan USA's Facebook page, the protesters defied the security men and crashed the reception. They were immediately sent away but they continued their rally outside the restaurant. Roque lamented that the militant