Philippine representative to the United Nations Teddy Boy Locsin Jr. was officially sworn as the new Foreign Affairs Secretary on Wednesday, October 18.
Locsin replaced Alan Peter Cayetano, who is gunning for Congress as Taguig representative for next year’s election.
For his first overseas event as the new DFA chief, he has left for Brussels in the evening for a world leaders’ conference, to represent the president.
He earlier announced his acceptance of President Rodrigo Duterte’s appointment.
“I will be Secretary of Foreign Affairs which includes the UN; I will have a direct hand until the architecture of sovereign independence in all matters of state that my team started to erect is remitted. Talent that doesn’t exist outside DFA will complete it,” Locsin said.
Several senators have applauded the appointment of Locsin who is known as an outspoken official.
“One of the best appointment[s] ever. Excellent choice. The PH cannot be bullied with him as DFA chief,” Senate President Vicente Sotto III said in a statement.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also expressed his excitement saying that Locsin’s character as a former journalist is right down his alley.
“Anyone with a Twitter account knows that Ambassador Locsin does not mince words. He speaks his mind passionately and tells it like it is, even if it’s something that many people might not want to hear,” Gatchalian said.
With Locsin’s appointment, Senator Ralph Recto believed the “best and brightest rule” was followed.
Before Duterte appointed Locsin as Philippine envoy to the UN in 2016, Locsin was a former journalist, lawmaker, and newspaper publisher.
He is not new to politics as he served as Makati representative from 2001 to 2010.
Photo credit: ABS-CBN News
