Trillanes schools Locsin: Focus on work, stay off Twitter
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday advised Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. to tone down his social media use following the passport data breach in his agency.
Last week, Locsin revealed on Twitter that a contractor supposedly ran away with personal data of passport holders, prompting the Department of Foreign Affairs to require those renewing their passports to submit their birth certificates.
The DFA later on released a statement clarifying that there was no breach in passport data as assured by APO Production Unit.
"One unsolicited advice for Secretary Locsin is to focus on his work being the top diplomat of the country and lessen social media use for now because he is not campaigning, he is not an elected official. He is a diplomat so he is supposed to be different from us elected officials," Trillanes said during the Kapihan sa Senado forum.
Trillanes added that Locsin has raised concerns among passport applicants due to his overuse of social media, particularly Twitter.
The senator said the DFA chief should have researched about the issue first before announcing it on social media.
"He is too immersed on social media, on Twitter in particular and he answers the commmentaries there," Trillanes said.
Locsin should instead use his Twitter account for good news and policies, not for "tit for tat," the senator said, adding that social media becomes a distraction for the secretary.
"In this particular case, he said somethong without fully knowing the situation," the senator said.
Trillanes and Sen. Risa Hontiveros have filed resolutions calling for a Senate inquiry into the passport data mess.
Asked if the Senate investigation would push through, Trillanes said it would depend on the concerned Senate committee.
Last Tuesday, the DFA said only a Senate investigation "will assure the public that there was no breach or loss of data." Locsin, meanwhile, signed an order removing the submission of birth certificates as a requirement for passport renewal.
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