Roque faces disbarment case

Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque is facing a disbarment complaint for supposedly spreading fake news on social media.

- Emmanuel Tupas

Lawyer Melvin Matibag yesterday filed the complaint before the Supreme Court.

He served as acting Cabinet secretary of former president Rodrigo Duterte. Roque was Duterte's spokesman.

Matibag declined to provide details of the complaint, but he cited Roque's social media posts, including a deepfake video of President Marcos supposedly using illegal drugs that went viral in July.

"It's been established that that's fake news, fake evidence. Let's see how the Supreme Court will appreciate that a lawyer is posting it," he told reporters.

Roque, in response, said the complaint is a "desperate act of attention." "The polvoronic video is a national security matter affecting the lives and future of millions of Filipinos.