Duterte’s Cabinet execs in next admin? Sotto says Locsin should stay

MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. should stay at the helm of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) under the next administration, vice presidential candidate Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Tuesday.

This, after Sotto and his running mate, presidential contender Senator Panfilo Lacson, was asked about President Rodrigo Duterte’s remark expressing his intentions to “gift” some of his Cabinet members to his successor.

“Any superior would be very happy to have you — actually, all of you. I will also hand you over… If only I could give you all as a gift,” Duterte said in a briefing aired late Monday.

READ: Briefing turns nostalgic as Duterte praises execs

These Cabinet members include vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Finances Secretary Carlos Dominquez III.

“Kung ako tatanungin, si Secretary Teddy Locsin ang ang dapat i-retain, yung iba pwede pag-aralan [If it were up to me, Secretary Teddy Locsin should be retained, the others can be studied],” Sotto told reporters after a dialogue with tricycle drivers and operators here.

Locsin was appointed as DFA secretary in November 2018. Before this, he served as the Philippines’ permanent representative at the United Nations.

For his part, Lacson said the next administration should look into what these Cabinet members have done that would justify having them retained.

“Pag-aralan natin. Dapat talaga ‘di ba sabi ko lagi, science-based, data-driven. So pag-aralan natin ano bang ginawa nila doon sa kasalukuyang administration to merit their retention,” he added.

(We should study it. As I’ve said before, it should be science-based, data-driven. So let’s see what they did in the current administration that would merit their retention.)