VP Robredo brushes off Locsin’s ‘boba’ remark

“Sa akin naman, ever since hindi ako pumatol ‘pag usapang bastusan. Sa akin, hindi naman ako nababawasan nun. Alam ng tao kung ano ang tama at ano ‘yung mali, kaya hindi ko na ‘yun papatulan,” she said. (File photo: VP Leni Robredo/Facebook)

Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo won’t retaliate against Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. after he made insulting remarks against her on social media.

In an interview with reporters in Naga City on Tuesday, June 25, Robredo said she had read Locsin’s tweet where he called her “boba (stupid)“; after she questioned the country’s top diplomat’s decision to cancel all courtesy diplomatic passports of former Filipino diplomats because he refuses to “single out” former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario who was denied entry to Hong Kong last Friday.

Locsin, later on, apologized to Robredo in a series of tweets, explaining that he did not mean to be disrespectful, however, “there are things that require a measure of study and thought.”

“Sa akin naman, ever since hindi ako pumatol ‘pag usapang bastusan. Sa akin, hindi naman ako nababawasan nun. Alam ng tao kung ano ang tama at ano ‘yung mali, kaya hindi ko na ‘yun papatulan (On my part, ever since, I don’t want to engage in rude talks. For me, it does not make me any less of a person. The people know what is right and what is wrong, that is why I won’t respond to that),” she said.

Robredo also said she was not taking Locsin’s remarks personally.

“‘Yung sa akin nga, wala naman ‘yun sa akin. ‘Yung sa akin, hindi ‘yung personal. Hindi ako ‘yung… ‘yung tao ‘yung maghuhusga. ‘Yung sa akin lang, sana kung ano ‘yung obligasyon, gawin. Kung ano ‘yung responsibilidad, gawin. Kung ano ‘yung nasa batas, sundin (For me, it is nothing. It was nothing personal. I’m not the one… the people will be the judge. For me, we should do our obligations. Whatever your responsibilities are, fulfill it. Whatever is stated in the law, follow it),” she said.

On Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Chief reposted his apology on Twitter as he reacted to Robredo’s statement that she will just ignore Locsin’s remark.

“I think someone deleted my response. Here it is again. ‘I don’t deserve it, Ma’am. I thought I was doing a good deed to spare a good man from being singled out for reprisal by abolishing courtesy diplomatic passports across the board; which is rampantly abused. It’s kind of you,'” he said.

Although Locsin has apologized to Robredo and the latter already said that the DFA chief’s statement was a non-issue for her, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, president of the Liberal Party (LP), said the DFA chief should be made accountable as his comment was a violation of the Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

“This kind of insolence and disrespect has no place in a civilized society and especially coming from the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the office primarily responsible for the country’s international diplomatic relations,” Pangilinan said in a statement.

Aside from the senator, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal and Albay Representative Edcel Lagman also slammed Locsin.

For his part, Macalintal said the Vice President does not deserve such “unkind” and “un-gentleman-like” attitude from Locsin, saying he never thought that the DFA chief would be “off-guard” in treating a lady, who also happens to be the Philippines’ second-highest official.

“Calling her ‘boba’ or stupid just because she made a remark that ran counter to his official action does not fit well to the fine gentleman that was Teddy Locsin I previously admired,” he said.

Lagman, meanwhile, said Locsin’s “satirical and mocking ‘apology'” won’t “exculpate him from baselessly insulting the Vice President.”

Malacañang came to the defense of Locsin, saying the latter is still “fit” as the country’s top diplomat despite saying rude remarks against the Vice President.