It was not his personal decision.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque revealed that it was not his decision to suddenly stop uploading videos on video-sharing platform Tiktok, saying he was told to stop doing so when he returned to his position in Malacañang more than a year after stepping down.
In an interview with online news organization Politiko, Roque revealed that being a Tiktokerist--a slang used to describe a Tiktok user--was one of his pastimes but he was ordered to stop doing Tiktok videos.
"Napatigil po ang aking Tiktok. 'Yan po ang sinabi sa akin na dapat 'wag muna mag-Tiktok pagbalik ko bilang spokesperson (I had to stop doing Tiktok videos. I was told to stop doing it when I came back as presidential spokesman)," he said.
Roque, however, did not name the person who made the order.
"Meron talaga. Meron talagang order (There really was an order)," he laughed.
"Kaya nga ang sabi ko 'Nasupil ang karapatan kong mag-macho dance!' (That's why I said they were infringing on my right to dance like a macho dancer!)," he jested.
In April last year, President Duterte brought back Roque to communicate the government's efforts and policies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Roque once again became Duterte's spokesman and that of the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, taking over the roles of Duterte's counsel Salvador Panelo and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, respectively.
Roque, however, said that he will return to enjoying singing and dancing after his stint as the presidential spokesman.
"Hindi naman tayo magtatagal at babalik po tayo sa pribadong buhay, magti-Tiktok po tayo uli (We will not stay long in this position and the time will come that I'll have to return to my private life. I'll do Tiktok videos again)," he said.
Roque used to upload Tiktok videos prior to his return to the government last year.