With Teddy Locsin Jr. at the helm of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippines cannot be bullied, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said on Friday.
“One of the best appointment ever. Excellent choice, ” Soto said in a Viber message to reporters.
“The PH cannot be bullied with him as DFA chief,” the Senate leader added.
Locsin, in a Twitter post early this Friday, confirmed he was offered the post and he accepted it.
READ: Teddy Boy Locsin accepts DFA post offer
Incumbent DFA Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano is expected to vacate his post after he announced his intention to seek a seat in the House of Representatives in the 2019 elections.
Like Sotto, Senator JV Ejercito also hailed Locsin’s appointment, saying the DFA would certainly benefit from the latter’s “long experience in public service and his brilliance.”
“As our country navigates a world facing trade wars, the resurgence of protectionism, violent extremism, transnational crimes and territorial disputes, I am confident that he can ably represent the interests of the Filipino people before the international community,” Ejercito said in a separate viber message to reporters.
“The global challenges that we face are indeed formidable but so is our incoming Foreign Affairs chief,” he added.
“I extend my congratulations to Secretary Locsin and President Duterte for making an exceptional appointment,” the senator said. /je