VP on ‘boba’: I don’t engage in rude conversations

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo shrugged off yesterday Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.’s boba or stupid remark, saying she does not engage in exchanging insults.

Robredo said she read Locsin’s tweets after receiving several calls Monday night.

“Ever since I don’t engage in rude conversations. It would not make me a lesser person if I do so. The people know what is right and wrong, that’s why I won’t pay attention to it,” the Vice President said in an interview in her hometown Naga City.

She also defended her earlier statement where she called Locsin’s order to cancel the diplomatic passports of former officials and envoys as a knee-jerk reaction of the administration.

She cited Republic Act 8239, which allows the provision of diplomatic passports to former officials of the government, including former presidents, former vice presidents and former ambassadors.

She said the law also allows cancellation of diplomatic passports only based on the following circumstances: if the holder is convicted of a criminal offense, the holder is considered fugitive from justice and if the acquisition of the passport is fraudulent or tampered.

“These (diplomatic passports) were cancelled, right? But I don’t think the basis of the cancellation is one of the three,” she said.

She noted the provision of diplomatic passports is not discretionary and that former officials and diplomats were not given the chance to defend themselves from the cancellation.

“All these elements were not present when the cancellation was made. So I said, the (government) should not be reckless as we have a law that must be followed,” she added.

Locsin decided to cancel the diplomatic passports of all ex-Philippine officials and diplomats after former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario was barred from entering Hong Kong last week.

Del Rosario, who was holding a diplomatic passport, said Hong Kong airport authorities violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Robredo said she is used to be at the receiving end of unfair accusations and insults. But when asked if she accepts Locsin’s apology, she said there are more important things to address.

“The main issue here is that the rights of our fishermen were violated,” she said, referring to the 22 Filipino crew of a fishing boat, which was allegedly rammed by a Chinese vessel in the West Philippine Sea on June 9.

‘Colorful language’

Malacañang said yesterday that Locsin’s colorful language has not affected his competence and his work. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo lauded the country’s top diplomat for apologizing to Robredo. – With Alexis Romero, Pia Lee-Brago, Paolo Romero, Jess Diaz