UNITEAM senatorial candidate Harry Roque defended presidential candidate former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., saying UniTeam’s standard bearer is not a thief or human rights violator.

Roque, a human rights lawyer, said the United States (US) did not have a ruling that Marcos violated human rights in the US, or was personally responsible for human rights violations in the Philippines.

“Kung anumang nangyari sa nakaraan, inisa-isa ko po ang records, wala pong kaso for human rights violations sa Amerika si Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” Roque answered to senatorial candidate Atty. Luke Espiritu claim that Marcos Jr. committed human right violations during the SMNI senatorial debate.

“Inisa-isa ko rin po ang mga kaso na decided ng ating Philippine Supreme Court, totoo po, co-administrator si Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos. Wala pong kaso na siya mismo ang nagnakaw,” Roque added.

Roque stressed that innocent people should not be blamed and that the presumption of innocence should be applied to all, even to sons of dictators.

“Ang katotohanan po, ang pinag-uusapan, hindi po ang patay na Marcos. Ang pinag-uusapan ang buhay na Marcos. Sa akin, panagutin ang mga nagkasala, pero ang mga hindi gumawa ng kasalanan, huwag natin idamay sa sisi,” Roque said.

He earlier said that Marcos Jr. has no case on ill-gotten wealth or human rights violation.

“I did my due diligence, and I am certain that there are no judicial pronouncements that Bongbong Marcos is responsible for any human rights violations. He should not be held responsible for the acts of others,” Roque said.

“I have again read the judicial records. There has not been an indictment against Bongbong Marcos. Second, we now have sufficient safeguards to prevent a repeat of 1972,” he continued.

Roque has also dismissed “imagined fears” that a Marcos presidency is a prelude to another country’s dictatorship and martial law era.

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Ryan Ponce Pacpaco