Teddy Locsin defends remarks on Hitler reference

MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. Saturday defended his remarks before a German journalist, which resulted in Germany’s Federal Foreign Office summoning the Philippine acting ambassador in Berlin.

“I said the President referring to Hitler and three million Jews is a metaphor,” he said on Twitter, referring to President Duterte’s remarks comparing the drug war to what Nazi leader Adolf Hitler did to Jews.

“The killing of six million Jews, 20 million Russians and innocents like Anne Frank in World War 2 is a historical fact. I guess he was annoyed that I refused to disown the President and pointed out because he left and the next day he went on the attack,” Locsin added.

Locsin was referring to journalist Arnd Henze of Berlin-based ARD Capital Studio, who earlier released a video of Locsin seemingly defending Duterte’s earlier remarks.

Henze also tweeted screenshots of previous remarks made by Locsin on Twitter regarding the Holocaust.

An official source at the German Federal Foreign Office last Friday night confirmed to The STAR that it held talks with Philippine chargé d’affaires Lilibeth Pono regarding Locsin’s remarks.

The secretary earlier said the Philippine embassy in Berlin is already handling the matter.            

“I already told them to tell the German Foreign Ministry to send the German ambassador to me because I’d rather finish my own fights than have others do it,” Locsin added.

Also last Friday night, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Elmer Cato accused Henze of “biased representation” of his interview with Locsin. 

“The video posted by Mr. Henze on his blog is incomplete and misleading. It failed to show Mr. Henze’s deliberate attempts to provoke Secretary Locsin into giving controversial remarks,” Cato added.

Henze yesterday said the German government has emphasized its condemnation of Locsin’s remarks as well as the human rights violations and alleged extralegal killings in the Philippines.