MANILA, Philippines — Responding to an online comment by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., senatorial bet Samira Gutoc-Tomawis pointed out that she is well aware of the peace situation in Mindanao.
On Thursday, Locsin reshared a news article about Gutoc, commenting that she "doesn't know what she is talking about."
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In the article, the Maranao civic leader, a former member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission that worked on the draft of what would become the Bangsamoro Organic Law, was quoted saying that President Rodrigo Duterte was part of the peace problem in the country.
Gutoc was quick to clap back at Locsin on Twitter, pointing out that he was the one who did not know what he "traded" his principles for.
"If you think rape jokes and violence quips have nothing to with peace, then I rest my case," Gutoc told Locsin.
"And between you and me, sir — ikaw naka aircon at ako isang bakwit at naranasan ang epekto ng gyera sa pami-pamilya, I definitely know what I am talking about," she added.
(You're in air-conditioned comfort, I am an evacuee who has experienced how war affects families, I definitely know what I'm talking about)
She doesn’t know what she is talking about. https://t.co/E0n28u8Pve
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) January 31, 2019
With due respect Sir Locsin, a peer of my dad former DFA Asec Gutoc, it is you who do not know what you traded you principles for. If you think rape jokes and violence quips have nothing to do with peace, then I rest my case. (1/2)
— Samira Gutoc (@SamiraGutoc) January 31, 2019
And between you and me, sir - ikaw naka aircon at ako isang bakwit at naranasan ang epekto ng gyera sa pami-pamilya, I definitely know what I am talking about, sir. (2/2)
— Samira Gutoc (@SamiraGutoc) January 31, 2019
In a press briefing earlier this week, Gutoc blamed the president's allegedly divisive politics, saying they might have led to the twin bombings of a cathedral in Jolo, Sulu.
"We hear on the TV and radio that the president himself encourages people to hurt, steal from and kill bishops. The president's attacks are directed to the Catholic Church. Mr. President, you're part of the problem," Gutoc said earlier this week.
Gutoc was a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission but quit her post after Duterte joked that he would take responsibility for any soldier convicted of rape during the implementation of martial law in Mindanao.
Prior to her work with the BTC, Gutoc was a member of the Regional Legislative Assembly in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
She has also worked with stakeholders in the peace process in Mindanao for nearly a two decades and is among the convenors of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy.
PCID, in a feature on her appointment to the BTC, said that Gutoc "has worked with projects supported by UNESCO, AUSAID, USAID, Department of Foreign Affairs to mainstream Muslim images in media publishing materials to popularize Code of Muslim Personal Laws among others."
Locsin, a former journalist, is an active Twitter user and sometimes uses the platform for tweets related to his job as head of the Department of Foreign Affairs. In January, he claimed that a French contractor had "run away" with Filipinos' passport data, later also tweeting the data was not "run-away-able" after all.
In November, he used Twitter to call the attention of a DFA assistant secretary to issues being raised by overseas Filipinos working in Libya.
RELATED: Trillanes schools Locsin: Focus on work, stay off Twitter