Locsin ‘not misinformed’ on data breach, but lacks info on ‘anomalous’ deals

MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin Jr. on Monday insisted that he was not “misinformed” about the data breach issue in the agency as one of his predecessors claimed.

Locsin made the remark after former Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. earlier said that Locsin might have been “misinformed” by “certain officials” of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) when he said that passport data was stolen by a previous contractor.

However, he conceded that he lacked information about the allegedly “anomalous” contracts between the DFA, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Francois-Charles Oberthur Fiduciare of France (Oberthur) and APO Production Unit Inc. (APO).

“I love Perfecto Yasay but I am not ‘misinformed’,” Locsin wrote in his Twitter post.

“Although I lack more information on what Panelo rightly says demands deep investigation: the anomalous DFA-BSP-Oberthur/APO passport contracts,” he added.

I love Perfecto Yasay but I am not "misinformed" although I lack more information on what Panelo rightly says demands deep investigation: the anomalous DFA-BSP-Oberthur/APO passport contracts. My predecessors seem to be panicking. I don't know why. What do you think? Tweet.

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) January 14, 2019

In subsequent tweets, Locsin said that there was no data breach but only a “withholding of the data by irate Frenchmen.”

He may well be right. Because it was not a breach but a withholding of the data by irate Frenchmen which data now stored in Lipa or in ASEANA (story keeps changing) but at any rate inaccessible. https://t.co/kQJnsNsmbx

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) January 14, 2019

He earlier said that there was “no leak so far” of information amid the passport data breach.

READ: Locsin says ‘no leak so far’ of passport data

The incumbent Foreign Affairs Secretary also responded to Yasay’s statement that Oberthur could not have run away with passport data.

“Then why is DFA frustrated it cannot access passport data so it won’t have to impose birth certificate to reconstitute data lost, stolen or inaccessible,” he wrote.

“Stories changing. Sign of guilt. DFA told me even APO does not give direct access to DFA of its data bank. Panic time,” he added.

The data breach issue sparked when the DFA required holders of  “older” or non-electronic passports for renewal to submit their birth certificates after the agency revealed that it had lost data to a previous contractor. /je

READ: Passport maker ‘took all data’ when contract terminated, reveals DFA chief