Locsin to deny entry to rights defender

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. (Photo by BEN STANSALL / AFP)

MANILA, Philppines — Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Monday warned a foreign human rights defender critical of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs that he will be denied entry if he tries to come into the Philippines to “advise” Vice President Leni Robredo on how to end the “murderous” crackdown.

Locsin scoffed at Robredo’s “retarded retinue” in reaction to a tweet addressed to the Vice President on Monday by Phelim Kine, former deputy director for Asia of the New York-based Human Rights Watch.

Kine wrote that he was ready to come to the Philippines anytime to “help advise how to end this murderous ‘drug war’” after Robredo was appointed by President Duterte as cochair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs.

‘Arrest Duterte, henchmen’

“[M]y Recommendation No. 1: Arrest #Duterte and his henchmen for inciting & instigating mass murder,” tweeted Kine, who is now a director for research and investigations at the Physicians for Human Rights.

Locsin retweeted a Twitter user’s disparaging comment to Kine that the drug war “is not going to go well” when Robredo has “morons for allies.”

“Her retarded retinue. Don’t worry; he can’t get into the country. We have to spare Leni the moral moronism of those who use her,” he said.