Nagpahayag ng pagkabahala si Kabayan Partylist Rep. Ron P. Salo sa kontrobersyal na social media post ni Ambassador Teddy Locsin Jr. tungkol sa mga Palestinian, na umani ng matinding reaksyon mula sa mga opisyal ng gobyerno at publiko.

Ayon sa ngayon ay burado nang post, sinagot ni Locsin ang komento ng isang netizen tungkol sa isang dokumentaryo sa hirap na kinakaharap ng mga Palestinian sa patuloy na hidwaan sa Hamas. Kasama sa kanyang tugon ang pahayag, “That’s why Palestinian children should be killed; they might grow up to become as gullible innocent Palestinians letting Hamas launch rockets at Israel; not that they could stop them but that’s no excuse. They are Muslims. They could stage mass suicide attacks against Hamas until the latter ran out of bullets.”

Nabahala naman si Salo sa mga pahayag ni Locsin at partikular na binigyang-diin ang mga potensyal na kahihinatnan ng naturang mga pahayag mula sa isang mataas na opisyal ng gobyerno. 

Si Locsin ay kasalukuyang nagsisilbing ambassador ng Pilipinas sa United Kingdom, at special envoy sa China.

“I fully respect Ambassador Teddy Locsin, Jr.’s personal opinion on the Palestine people, including children, and of our Muslim brothers and sisters, no matter how savage, appalling and needlessly provocative. For a man of his stature – a respected journalist, former Congressman, former Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and now Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and special envoy to China – such opinion, though, is incomprehensible,” aniya.

Higit pa rito, ipinunto ni Salo ang seryosong implikasyon ng naturang mga pahayag.

“As a high ranking official of the Philippine Government, making his provocative personal opinion public by posting it in social media is highly irresponsible. His statement incites hatred and hostility not only against the Palestine people but also against our Muslim brothers and sisters in the Philippines and around the world, a crime in most jurisdictions, and is outlawed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).”

Dagdag niya, humingi man ng tawad si Locsin at nilinaw na ang kanyang pahayag ay sinadya bilang isang “sarcastic response,” maaari itong makita bilang official stand ng gobyerno. Nagbabala rin si Salo sa posibleng epekto sa mga Filipino diplomats at overseas Filipino workers, lalo na sa mga nasa Middle East at Muslim-majority countries.

“With all the challenges, troubles, and suffering our OFWs are facing, the last thing we want is to add fuel to the fire. And it is regrettable that such instigation is coming from no less than a Philippine ambassador,” pagdidiin niya.

Photo credit: Facebook//TeddyBoyLocsin

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