MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. is once again the subject of online criticism for cursing another journalist. The tweet, which was eventually deleted, was screengrabbed by BBC News Philippines correspondent Howard Johnson on Wednesday.
“F*ck you,” the country’s top diplomat said in a now-deleted tweet in response to The STAR reporter Marc Jayson Cayabyab.
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Locsin Jr. was earlier hit by media practitioners and online users for using an expletive against a Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter covering the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Bangkok.
"Uh, did you get the p*t*ng*na I sent you? That’s the last event, purely ceremonial and short. Jokowi had left, Mahathir too," Locsin said on Tuesday, quote-tweeting the journalist who reported that Duterte had failed to attend the event.
“The tweet simply stated a fact and insinuated nothing. It is a shame since [Locsin] is fond of boasting about his journalistic past,” NUJP chair Nonoy Espina said.
Rappler reporter Pia Ranada, who is banned from covering the president in public events, also said the Inquirer reporter was only stating the facts as required by her job.
“Was the expletive necessary? She was only doing her job. It’s a fact that you represented Pres Duterte. It’s a fact that he skipped the closing ceremony,” Ranada said.
Cayabyab on Wednesday quote-tweeted Locsin’s controversial post with a citation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
“RA 6713 Section 4: Professionalism-Public officials, employees shall perform, discharge their duties with the highest degree of excellence, professionalism, intelligence, skill; Responsiveness to the public-(They) shall extend prompt, courteous, adequate service to the public,” Cayabyab’s tweet read.
The Civil Service Commission, responsible for the administration and enforcement of RA 6713, has been asked by online users to act on Locsin's behavior.