MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED 2:14 p.m.)— Former lawmaker and television host Teodoro “Teddyboy” Locsin Jr. has accepted his appointment as the Philippines’ ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Malacañang said Sunday.
Presidential Communications chief Martin Andanar said Locsin had accepted the appointment in a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte at the chief executive’s official residence in Bahay Pangarap.
“Former Congressman Teddyboy Locsin and I were in touch again last night (Sept. 17) and he said they indeed met at Bahay Pangarap. Congressman Locsin said he accepted the position as UN ambassador,” Andanar said in a text message.
Locsin will assume the post as the Philippines is having an uneasy relationship with the UN over Duterte’s brutal crackdown on drug offenders.
The UN has repeatedly expressed concerns over the spate of killings in the country, which is a direct result of the government’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs and crime.
The statements drew the ire of Duterte, who called the international body “stupid” for supposedly failing to understand the seriousness of the drug problem in the Philippines. He also labeled UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon a “fool” for denouncing the supposed human rights violations in the country. The president even went as far as threatening to pull the Philippines out of the UN but later on claimed that he was just joking.
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Locsin will replace Philippines Permanent Representative to the UN Lourdes Yparraguirre.
The former lawmaker is one of the hosts of the commentary program “#NoFilter” and a segment anchor of late night newscast “The World Tonight” on ABS-CBN News Channel. He is also a columnist for business newspaper BusinessMirror.
Locsin's "#NoFilter" co-host Prospero “Popoy” de Vera III, a well-known political analyst and professor of public administration at the University of the Philippines, was also appointed as commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education and adviser of the government peace panel on the negotiations with the National Democratic Front last week.
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Locsin served as representative of Makati’s 1st district from 2001 to 2010. He was also a presidential speech writer, legal counsel and press secretary of former President Corazon Aquino.
In 2012, Locsin was nominated to replace Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was ousted after he was found guilty by an impeachment court of failing to fully disclose his assets. Then President Benigno Aquino III named Ma. Lourdes Sereno to the post.