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- EDD K. USMAN | Twitter: @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 | Facebook: SDN — SciTech and Digital News
(SDN) — “They are Muslims”.
This is one of the “reasons” given by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s envoy to the Court of St. James, the United Kingdom, on “why Palestinian children should be killed”.
He gave at least three reasons in his X (formerly Twitter) statement, which a former Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) official well-versed with Middle East concerns described as disturbing.
For those living under a rock for a long time, there are Palestinian Christians, including children. One of the most prominent Palestinian Christian is Hanan Asrawi, the former spokesperson of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).
Datu Omar Pangarungan, a former diplomat with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), told SDN — SciTech & Digital News decried the Philippine envoy’s highly insensitive statement on social media.
In his X tweet, which the former DFA secretary deleted, he gave his reasons for the killing of Palestinian children. He did not say if Palestinian children who are Christians “should also be killed”.
His reasons:
- 1. They might grow up to become as gullible as innocent Palestinians letting Hamas launch rockets at Israel; not that they could stop them but that’s no excuse.
- 2. They are Muslims.
- 3. They could stage mass suicide attacks against Hamas until the latter run out of bullets.
For whatever reason Locsin later deleted his grossly offensive tweet. He tweeted what could be a lame apology. But not after his tweet on “why Palestinian children should be killed” was preserved for all eternity by vigilant netizens.
Perhaps, no human being would outlive Locsin’s tweet; it’s preserved on cyberspace for all eternity even though he deleted it.
His following tweet: “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 did misconstrue my sentiments and did in fact 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.”
Netizens who read the tweet of Marcos, Jr.’s chosen envoy to the Court of St. James called him names and asked him to resign. They are words not fit to publish on this news site. Even dogs would spit them out.
One of those who asked to resign Marcos, Jr.’s envoy to the United Kingdom is the provincial governor of Sultan Kudarat, the young Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu, grandson of Sultan Datu Pax Mangudadatu, the mayor of Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat.
No wonder because Locsin, a Filipino and Spanish mestizo, has so riled up many of those who read his tweet on “why Palestinian children should be killed”.
Pangarungan, former action man of DFA, described the words of Locsin, his former boss, as “brutal and callous words…a diplomatic blunder, a callous disregard for human life”.
The provincial governor of Sulu, Hadji Abdusakur M. Tan has issued a statement in response to Locsin’s “why Palestinian children should be killed”. He sent his statement to the Filipino diplomat and to other “relevant authorities and personalities”.
Tan: Locsin’s statement “unacceptable and unbecoming of a representative of the Philippine government”
Tan reminds Locsin that being the Philippine ambassador to Britain, “it is the common perception that a diplomat should act in tune with established decorum, a level above that of ordinary citizens and other subordinate officials of government.”
Acknowledging the Filipino Spanish mestizo’s “gift of gab”, the governor, nevertheless, points out that Locsin’s “latest blabber on Gaza crisis which he Tweeted and and apologetically retweeted is a vain and poor attempt at first aid on torn sutures of old wounds that are yet to completely heal”.
Locsin’s tweet on “why Palestinian children should be killed…They are Muslims” was quoted by the governor for emphasis.
“That statement is as destructive and damaging like the rockets and missiles raining on Gaza.
“This not only shatter the essence of humanity and the values we hold dear as a people and as a nation but are a affront to the principles we hold dear in the international community and under our own Philippine laws,” Tan says.
The governor seems to have scolded Locsin for his “derogatory, demeaning and condescending words” which revealed his “phobic mindset and preconceived view on Islam and the Muslims”.
“Such 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 undermines. More importantly, it raises questions on the representation of our nation’s values on the global stage,” Tan says.
The governor concluded his statement on good note.
“It is my sincere hope that Mr. Locsin deeply reflects on the gravity of his words and the impact they have had on our nation’s image and the hearts of our Muslim communities and peace-loving citizens.
Other leaders from Mindanao like Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong and Dr. Jun Datu-Ramos also issued statements earlier they posted on social media.
A netizen, Leah Tarhata Mehila, has started a signature campaign for Locsin’s resignation. (✓)