The University of the Philippines-Diliman said Tuesday it was opposing the nomination of Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque to the International Law Commission, citing his "poor" human rights record.
Should Roque succeed in his campaign, "his inclusion in the Commission would not serve its purpose but instead diminish the reputation of the body," UP Diliman said in a statement.
Roque, a former faculty member at the UP College of Law, went viral last week for berating health workers on the frontlines of the pandemic, one of many missteps that drew the ire of netizens.
"Atty. Roque has a very poor track record of promoting, defending and fulfilling human rights and the rule of law, especially during the administration of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, in which he serves as a Cabinet member," UP Diliman said.
Roque is in New York to campaign for his seat. He apologized for the outburst and threatened legal action against those who leaked the video of his flare-up.
Before joining politics, Roque taught international law at UP for 15 years.
The International Law Commission is a body of 34 experts working on the "promotion of the progressive development of international law and its codification," its website said.
The members of the organization are expected to be persons "of recognized competence in international law," and are elected by the United Nations General Assembly.
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