Hurting Robredo’s family over ‘boba remark’ is Locsin’s ‘deepest regret’

MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said hurting the family of Vice President Leni Robredo due to his “boba” remark was his “deepest regret.”

Locsin, who has since apologized for his behavior, received a backlash for calling Robredo “boba” for her views on the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) move to cancel the courtesy diplomatic passports issued to former diplomats and government officials.

Nah, she has a point and she is still making it. Not that it should matter to her but I respect that. My deepest regret is that I hurt her family. I have no regret for the so-called offense to her opportunistic followers; they are just using her to return to power. https://t.co/abSmpjIFVh

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) June 27, 2019

“My deepest regret is that I hurt her family,” Locsin said over Twitter on Thursday.

However, the country’s top diplomat said he has “no regret for the so-called offense to her opportunistic followers,” claiming that they are “just using her to return to power.”

Locsin issued this recent apology after a Twitter user said Robredo should have just said “noted” after the foreign affairs chief called her “boba.”

Earlier this week, Senator Francis Pangilinan’s said the Cabinet secretary should be charged for violating the ethics code over his behavior. Locsin’s reply: “Noted.”

READ: Amid ‘boba’ furor, Locsin sarcastically answers Kiko’s dare: ‘Noted’

Robredo had shrugged off Locsin’s “boba” remark.

“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.

“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.

(I read the tweet last night because a lot of people called. I refuse to dwell on that issue. I did not lose anything. I know that people know what is right and wrong, so I don’t want to focus on that.) (Editor: Eden Estopace)

READ: Robredo: Fate of 22 fishermen more important than criticisms, Locsin’s tirades