Binatikos ng election lawyer na si Romulo Macalintal si Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. dahil sa pagtawag ng huli sa kaniyang kliyenteng si Vice President Leni Robredo, na "boba."
"Calling her 'boba' or stupid just because she made a remark that ran counter to his official action does not fit well to the fine gentleman that was Teddy Locsin I previously admired," sabi ni Macalintal sa isang pahayag nitong Martes.
"While you think that VP Leni may not be as intelligent as you, but I can assure you, Teddy Boy, that she is a very honest and sincere public servant and a distinguished companyera," dagdag ng election lawyer.
Una rito, kinuwestiyon ni Robredo ang ginawa ni Locsin sa pagkansela sa diplomatic passports ng mga dating Filipino diplomat.
Nag-ugat ang kontrobersiya dahil sa pagbiyahe ni DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario sa Hong Kong, gamit ang diplomatic passport.
Pero pinigil si Del Rosario ng mga immigration personnel sa airport ng Hong Kong, hanggang sa tuluyang hindi na papasukin sa naturang teritoryo ng China.
Kasama si Del Rosario ni dating Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales sa nagsampa ng kaso laban kay Chinese President Xi Jinping sa International Criminal Court.
Ayon kay Robredo, ang ginawang pagkansela ni Locsin sa diplomatic passport ng mga dating DFA official ay mistulang pagparusa sa mga kapwa niya Pinoy at pagkampi naman sa China.
Dito na sumagot si Locsin sa pamamagitan ng post sa Twitter at sinabing, "Hey, Boba. That is precisely why I have ordered the cancellation of all courtesy diplomatic passports because I refuse to single out Del Rosario."
Dagdag pa niya, "Will someone please do her the kindness to give her a brain? Here I am trying to do what's right, which is to restrict diplomatic passports to real existing working diplomats so as not to devalue them abroad—and not pass them out as favors to retirees & friends."
Gayunman, humingi rin ng paumanhin si Locsin kinalaunan.
Ayon kay Macalintal, tumakbong senador pero natalo nitong nakaraang halalan, hindi nararapat ang naging reaksyon ni Locsin.
"But I am sure that the Teddy Boy Locsin I know would one day wake up and realize his greatest blunder of insulting the Vice President and would try to regain the gentleman image he suddenly lost by apologizing to VP Robredo who, I’m sure, was also surprised to hear such insulting remark from the Foreign Affairs Secretary," sabi ni Macalintal.—FRJ, GMA News
