Locsin calls Robredo ‘boba’ and asks someone to ‘give her a brain’

BUT DFA CHIEF LATER APOLOGIZES TO LENI

By: Neil Arwin Mercado - Reporter / @NAMercadoINQ

INQUIRER.net / 05:21 PM June 24, 2019

MANILA, Philippines —  Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Monday blasted Vice President Leni Robredo and called her ‘boba’ (stupid) over a comment she made on the cancellation of diplomatic passports of former foreign affairs secretaries.

In her weekly radio show, “BISErbisyong Leni,” Robredo expressed her views on the cancellation of the diplomatic passports of former foreign affairs secretary Albert Del Rosario, who was barred from entering Hong Kong last June 19.

“Ang reaksyon ng bansa natin imbes na ipagtanggol iyong mamamayan ng Pilipinas, parang sinisi pa at kinancel (Our country’s reaction is to throw blame and cancel [the diplomatic passport]),” Robredo said.

Locsin, however, said all courtesy diplomatic passports were canceled so as not to “single out Del Rosario.”

“Hey boba, that is precisely why I have ordered the cancellation of all courtesy diplomatic passports because I refuse to single out Del Rosario,” Locsin said on Twitter.

“Will someone please do her the kindness to give her a brain? Here I am trying to do what’s right, which is to restrict diplomatic passports to real existing working diplomats so as not to devalue them abroad—and not pass them out as favors to retirees and friends,” he added.

Following his comments, Locsin said he does not mean to be disrespectful.

“I don’t mean to be disrespectful Ma’am, you are just a missing heartbeat away from the Presidency. I respect you for that accident of fortune. But there are things that require a measure of study & thought. Please ask me next time. At your service, Ma’am,” Locsin said in a later tweet.

In a statement on Sunday, Del Rosario said he will not challenge the decision of the foreign affairs department to cancel the diplomatic passports, but he needs to know the “real reason” why the passports were taken back.

“For the likes of me, I cannot think of one good reason why this is happening. What is the real reason then for taking back what has already been given?” Del Rosario said.

“What has changed in one long day?” he added. (Editor: Eden Estopace)/ac

Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1133466/locsin-calls-robredo-boba-over-comment-on-diplomatic-passport-cancellation#ixzz5rqtOElR5

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