Locsin stamps authority on foreign policy matters; Panelo says he doesn’t feel alluded to

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. stamped his authority on foreign policy issues amid the escalating row between the Philippines and Canada over the tons of trash that were illegally shipped to Manila in 2013 and 2014.

Locsin said on Twitter on Thursday night  that he has the “last and only word” in foreign affairs after President Rodrigo Duterte.

Mine is the first, last and only word in foreign affairs after the President’s. After the President and then me, no one has the authority to sever anything but his own throat. Certainly not diplomatic relations. Can we all keep silent?

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 16, 2019

“Mine is the first, last and only word in foreign affairs after the President’s. After the President and then me, no one has the authority to sever anything but his own throat. Certainly not diplomatic relations. Can we all keep silent?” Locsin said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) chief made the comment after presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said on Thursday that the recall of the country’s ambassador and consuls to Canada as announced by Locsin was a warning to Ottawa that the Philippines is ready to sever diplomatic ties over the garbage row.

Panelo said he did not feel alluded to by Locsin’s remarks.

“Nope, I was following his line. I said whatever he said is the position of the President,” he said in a text message.

Filipino envoys assigned in Canada were recalled after Ottawa missed the May 15 deadline set by Duterte to retrieve the 69 container vans of household waste that was wrongly labelled as recyclable.

Locsin said the decision came after Canada’s representatives failed to show up at a meeting with Philippine customs officials.

Reacting to the development, Canada's foreign ministry said it was "disappointed" by the Philippines' decision to withdraw its top diplomats.

Canada also said it remained committed to finalizing the arrangements for the repatriation of the garbage. — RSJ, GMA News