Duterte tells Locsin: Be truthful
President Duterte only has one sole reminder to new Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and that is to be truthful at all times as he became the country’s top diplomat on Wednesday.
President Duterte made the statement as he swore Locsin into office, along with former Army Chief Rolando Bautista as the new Social Welfare Secretary.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said that Duterte and Locsin did not get to talk much during the celebration held in Malacañang as the latter had to fly to Belgium to represent Duterte in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-European Union (ASEAN-EU) Summit.
“I was there at the oath-taking yesterday and the conversation was like this: ‘I’m honored with your appearance today. And there is only one message that I would like to give you and that is: Be truthful, nothing more,’” Panelo recalled the President as having told the new DFA Chief.
“He (Locsin) was supposed to leave yesterday for Belgium to represent the President so there was no time to have any discussion,” he added.
Panelo, in his press briefing, said that Duterte appoints members of the Cabinet in the basis of truth and competence.
Foreign policy Panelo said that Locsin is aware of Duterte’s foreign policy and that no change has been made since day one of Duterte’s presidency.
“With respect to the foreign policy, I think the new DFA [Secretary] knows exactly the marching orders of the President,” he said.
“There has been no change from the time that secretaries have been appointed at the Department of Foreign Affairs. From former Secretary [Perfecto] Yasay, to former Secretary Alan [Cayetano], and to him (Locsin),” he added.
Locsin replaced Cayetano as the new Foreign Affairs Secretary after the latter resigned to run for Congress. Locsin, the Philippines’ former ambassador to the United Nations, is the third Foreign Affairs Secretary under Duterte’s administration.