ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Muslim provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, including the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), have strongly criticized Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom Teodoro Locsin Jr., also the Philippines' special envoy to China for special concerns, for his sarcastic tirades on his post on X, formerly Twitter, with regard to the Israel-Hamas war.
Teodoro Locsin Jr
The Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday also disassociated itself from Locsin’s statement made on Oct. 21 saying “Palestinian children should be killed; they might grow to become as gullible as innocent Palestinians letting Hamas launch rockets at Israel; not that they could stop them but that's no excuse.”
Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan said Locsin’s statement is “as destructive and damaging as the rockets and missiles raining over Gaza. This not only shatters the essence of humanity and the values we hold dear as a people and as a nation but are an affront to the principles we hold dear in the international community and under our own Philippine laws.”
“No justification can excuse the harming of innocent children. The words that came out from you is not only a violation of these principles but also undermines the values enshrined in our own Philippine Constitution and Statutes. These values are deeply embedded in our nation's fabric, which takes pride in compassion, tolerance, and respect for all,” Tan added.
Locsin has deleted his controversial post on Oct. 22 following mounting criticisms.
“I immediately deleted my sarcastic response to a tweet as I realized it could be misconstrued and retweeted to incite. My apologies to those who misconstrued my sentiments and did in fact get triggered - I obviously was not advocating for the literal death of anyone, but rather simply for the end of any ideology that condones terrorism in any way, shape or form,” he said.
Tan said the post, though deleted, its repercussions remain and linger, not only in diplomatic circles and international relations, but in the communities of the Muslim minority in the Philippines. “We may be a minority, Mr. Ambassador but we value dearly our significance in the larger community of Muslim Ummah.”
“Your derogatory, demeaning and condescending words reveal your phobic mindset and preconceived view on Islam and the Muslims. Such a statement is unacceptable and unbecoming of an official representative of the Philippine government. An ambassador is expected to uphold the highest standards of diplomacy, respect, and understanding, which this tweet severely undermines. More importantly, it raises questions on the representation of our nation's values on the global stage,” he added.
The provincial government of Tawi-Tawi also released a resolution expressing “displeasure” on Locsin’s “irresponsible and insensitive statement.”
“Whereas, we strongly condemn all acts of terrorism and killing of innocent groups of people based on their religion and or ethnicity. Violence is not a constructive approach. Instead, we should strive for dialogue, diplomacy, and peaceful solutions to these long-standing issues. It is our shared responsibility to work towards a more peaceful and just world for all.”
“Whereas, while Ambassador Locsin has apologized and deleted his statements on the "X" app, the damage has been done. As aptly stated by House of Representative Zia Alonto Adiong, and we quote "there is no room in Philippine society much more in the higher offices of the government, for the dangerous, bigoted, Islamophobic rhetoric that is palpable in Ambassador Teodoro "TeddyBoy" Locsin Jr.'s deleted statement,” the resolution, passed by the provincial lawmakers, read.
The former rebel group MNLF also issued a statement condemning Locsin’s post. Ustadz Abdulkarim Tan Misuari, the MNLF’s Vice Chairman and also the Deputy Speaker of the Bangsamoro Parliament, said: “We strongly condemn the tweet made by Teddy Locsin Jr., who advocated the killing of innocent children in Gaza. It is essential to remember that children deserve to be protected, nurtured, and allowed to grow in safe and nurturing environments.”
“However, we must also acknowledge that Mr. Locsin Jr. has subsequently apologized for his irresponsible words, acknowledging that they were unintentional. We sincerely hope that the apology from Mr. Locsin Jr. reflects a genuine understanding of the gravity of his initial statement and a commitment to promoting peace and understanding,” he added. (Mindanao Examiner)
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