Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — “Noted” was the simple but sarcastic response of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. to Senator Francis Pangilinan’s recent statement saying that the country’s top diplomat should be charged for calling Vice President Leni Robredo “boba.”
READ: Pangilinan wants Locsin charged for calling Robredo ‘boba’
“Noted,” Locsin said over Twitter on Tuesday when sought for a comment on Pangilinan’s statement.
Noted. https://t.co/5mIht62ILt
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) June 25, 2019
Pangilinan drew the harsh tag “Mr. Noted” when he was as a member of the national board of canvassers in 2004. He merely replied “noted” to persistent requests by the opposition to scrutinize election returns (ERs) purportedly indicating fraud.
The foreign affairs chief said he continues to apologize for what he admitted was an “inexcusable behavior” toward the Vice President.
“I don’t see it as a blunder but as inexcusable behavior for which I have and continue to apologize,” he said in a separate tweet.
I don't see it as a blunder but as inexcusable behavior for which I have and continue to apologize. https://t.co/xKR1VWIVSb
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) June 25, 2019
In a tweet on Monday, Locsin called Robredo “boba” for her views on the cancellation of all the courtesy diplomatic passports issued to former foreign affairs secretaries and ambassadors.
This after former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, who used his diplomatic passport for his trip, was barred from entering Hong Kong on June 19
READ: DFA to cancel diplomatic passports after ex-chief’s HK detention
Locsin pointed out that he was “rather taken aback” by Robredo’s comment on the directive of the DFA, adding he “sorta [sort of] expected sympathy for my attempt to shield Del Rosario from being singled out.”
Locsin has since apologized for his behavior.
READ: Locsin to Robredo: Sorry, sorry, sorry… ‘at your service, Ma’am’
Malacañang has defended the Cabinet secretary’s “colorful language” adding that it was President Rodrigo Duterte’s tough-talking persona that supposedly earned the admiration of the international community.
“Ang Presidente natin diba ganun din ang style? Pero kita mo naman ang epekto. Look at the effect when he curses (former US President) Obama di ba? Bigla siyang tiningala ng buong mundo as an emerging world leader,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo earlier said in a Palace briefing.
Robredo shrugged off Locsin’s earlier remark against her, adding that the real issue lies on the violated rights of the 22 fishermen, whose boat was sunk by a Chinese vessel at Recto (Reed) Bank in the West Philippine Sea earlier this month.
READ: Robredo: Fate of 22 fishermen more important than criticisms, Locsin’s tirades
“Mas maraming importanteng bagay na kailangang asikasuhin. Iyong pinaka-issue dito, iyong mga mangingisda, na na-violate iyong kanilang mga karapatan (There are more important issues here, especially the fishermen whose rights were violated),” Robredo told reporters in Naga City on Tuesday.
Asked whether she had seen Locsin’s tweet calling her “boba,” she answered: “Nabasa ko iyong tweet late last night kasi ang daming tumatawag.”
“Sa akin naman, ever since hindi ako pumatol kapag usapang bastusan. Sa akin, hindi naman ako nababawasan noon. Alam ng tao kung ano ang tama at ano iyong mali, kaya hindi ko na iyon papatulan,” she further said.
Reacting to Robredo’s recent statement, Locsin once again apologized and further defended DFA’s move to cancel courtesy diplomatic passports to former diplomats.
I don't deserve it, Ma'am. I am deeply sorry. I thought I was doing a good deed by a blanket cancellation to fend off an individual condemnation of a man acting out his conscience—though rather improperly. So I removed the impropriety all around. Again I don't deserve it.
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) June 25, 2019
“I don’t deserve it, Ma’am. I am deeply sorry,” he said over Twitter.
“I thought I was doing a good deed by a blanket cancellation to fend off an individual condemnation of a man acting out his conscience—though rather improperly. So I removed the impropriety all around. Again I don’t deserve it,” he added.(Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)/ac
READ: Panelo defends Locsin’s ‘colorful language:’ Look at the Presiden