‘The Palace clearly chastised Locsin for this lack of manners, and considering that he is the country’s top diplomat.’
THERE is a new code of conduct in Malacañang Palace, and all Cabinet officials and presumably their subalterns, should follow. Cabinet members have been asked to avoid profanity in their language, with special mention of the “sensitive field of diplomacy.”
The internal rule clearly can be traced to the recent outburst of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on the issue of the South China Sea, and the alleged “swarming” of Chinese fishing and militia vessels in the Julian Felipe reef.
Locsin grew up amidst wealth and privilege (Ateneo de Manila University, newspaper publisher, San Beda Law faculty, Cory speechwriter, Philippines Free Press, ACCRA, etc.). Such background should make an ordinary civilized person. But uncouth Teddy Boy’s poster image in Philippine media was his “dirty finger” photo pointed at rallyists in Cory Aquino’s Malacañang. This intellectual charlatan who considers the Tagalog language as “inappropriate to pointed debate” is a disgrace to all Tagalog-speaking provinces and cities in the Philippines, including Makati where he served as representative.
To be fair to the secretary of foreign affairs, he was not aping or competing with his boss, President Rodrigo Duterte, in the expletive and vitriolic department. He has been that way since the days of Cory Aquino. So it was vintage Teddy Boy all right when he said on Twitter: “China, my friend, how politely can I put it? Let me see.. O… GET THE F*** OUT” aside from calling China an “ugly oaf.” The tweet, written last Monday, was a reference to the presence of Chinese Coast Guard ships near Scarborough Shoal in an area of the South China Sea claimed by both nations.
The Palace clearly chastised Locsin for this lack of manners, and considering that he is the country’s top diplomat. The President then issued the anti-profanity rule which is internal to his official family, following his frowning on rude and disrespectful behavior towards China.
As enunciated by presidential spokesman Harry Roque, President Duterte would prefer to address the country’s conflict with China through peaceful and diplomatic means. This will involve asserting the country’s sovereignty and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea through bilateral diplomacy with China and multilateral engagements with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), strategic partners, United Nations and the international community.
Following the embarrassing flub, Locsin apologized not to China but to Chinese Foreign Minister and State Counselor Wang Yi, and admitted later that he used “not the right instrument” in delivering his message. This was after China urged the Philippines to observe “basic etiquette” and eschew microphone diplomacy, saying “facts have repeatedly proved that microphone diplomacy cannot change the facts, but can only undermine mutual trust.”
Although hurt, China said it “has worked, and will continue to work with the Philippines, to properly resolve differences and advance cooperation through friendly consultations.”
The gaffe should teach Teddy Boy Locsin a lesson or two in international diplomacy.
