In the turmoil about the House probe into (De Lima) the drugs trade within the NBP you might not have noticed it, but almost overnight Teddy Locsin became the Philippines newest diplomat.
Starting September 20th 2016 he succeeds Lourdes Yparraguirre as the
Philippine's Ambassador or Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Teddy is almost everything except a diplomat. I think The Netherlands is
one of the few countries in the world where the Department of Foreign Affairs
entertains a ‘Class for future Diplomats’. Most of the time you become a
diplomat because the chief of government thinks you are qualified for the job
and assigns you, most of the time also these appointments are political and not
meritocratic. It’s for instance a well-known fact that in the USA often big sponsors
of a presidential campaign are rewarded with a diplomatic post after their
candidate won the elections.
‘Teddyboy’ is a writer, a journalist, a columnist, a presidential speechwriter
and spokesperson, a lawyer, almost a judge, a publisher, an editor-in-chief and
he once was a member of the boards of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) and the
United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB). He's familiar with the Aquinos, Ayalas, Zobels, Cojuangcos and other Filipino oligarchs. They used him as their front man as they saw fit and where they themselves prefer to keep a low profile. He is known for his middle-finger and outspoken
opinions, which are not always diplomatic in the traditional perception of that
profession. But change is coming, isn’t it? We have noticed the new diplomatic style
President Duterte showed in his first almost three month in office. Colorful
would be a traditional diplomatic description. And the world has to get used to
it. It’s not necessarily bad to shake up the feathers from time to time.
What an entrance Locsin made into the diplomatic corps! On his first day
he of course was Karen Davila’s guest in ‘Headstart’. And he immediately had something to say about
the European Union, after the European Parliament had issued a statement on the
situation in the Philippines, Zimbabwe and Somalia. The European Union should
mind their own business and we should not forget that this same European Union
just recently, led by its most powerful member Germany, had destroyed the
country of Greece. Bam! The first hit of the newbie Philippines Ambassador to
the United Nations. Verily a promising and flying start! The President will
already be proud of him.
Also very interesting was to learn that Locsin is a big fan of
‘Bongbong’ Marcos and is looking forward to him being a next President of the
Philippines, although Marcos sr. jailed his dad. But his dad is dead and gone
and with him the history of the Marcos dictatorship that destroyed democracy to
save it. His first diplomatic advice to Bongbong Marcos was to bury his father
at the Libingan ng mga Bayani once he’s the President of the Philippines. Locsin’s
thoughts, ideas and opinions are full of these kinds of creative twists and
generally show a somewhat Machiavellian interpretation of history, although
Locsin is not a historian. He now is a newbie diplomat.
