MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. revealed he was swayed to take the word of President Rodrigo Duterte to use gasoline as an alternative disinfectant, despite warnings from health experts about its harmful effects.
The country’s top diplomat thought aloud on Twitter, late Friday, before deleting it when he expectedly drew brickbats.
“Mo, what if he’s right?” Locsin tweeted back to his former talk show cohost, Mo Twister.
Mo tagged Locsin with the comment, “What the fuck is wrong with your man?” while retweeting a news video of the President saying he was serious when he advised to use gasoline as disinfectant against COVID-19.
Locsin later shared a netizen’s comment quoting the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the harmful effects of inhaling and rubbing gasoline on the skin and eyes.
—Dona Z. Pazzibugan