Locsin named envoy to UN

TEODORO LOCSIN JR. INQUIRER PHOTO

TEODORO “Teddyboy” Locsin Jr. has been appointed as the Philippines’ permanent representative to the United Nations, a job he takes on that will require more than the acerbic and witty charm he has wielded as lawyer, politician and journalist because of President Duterte’s avowed disdain of the New York-based institution.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar on Sunday said the 67-year-old Locsin told him on Saturday night he had accepted the post as the Philippines’ top diplomat in the United Nations offered to him during a meeting with Mr. Duterte at Bahay Pangarap, the President’s official residence, in Malacañang.

The UN post is currently occupied by Lourdes Yparraguirre, a career official at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Yparraguirre has been in the news lately after a migrant workers advocacy group asked the DFA to send a team to the Philippine mission in New York City to look into the alleged abusive behavior of the Philippine ambassador toward her household staff.

The appointment of a new Philippine representative to the United Nations comes amid

Mr. Duterte’s verbal feuds with UN officials, who have expressed concern over the increasing number of alleged drug suspects being killed in the country as a result of the Chief Executive’s war on illegal drugs.

Mr. Duterte has slammed UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his special rapporteurs on human rights. He has also threatened to withdraw the Philippines from the United Nations.

Media, politics

Locsin currently hosts shows for the ABS-CBN News Channel and writes a column for Business Mirror.

He was elected Makati City representative for three terms from 2001 to 2010.

During the 14th Congress, Locsin chaired the House of Representatives’ committee on suffrage and electoral reforms, which conducted an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the country’s first automated elections in 2010.

In 2012, he was among the nominees for Chief Justice following the impeachment trial and conviction of the late Renato Corona for alleged dishonesty in his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth. In 2009, he was among the dozens of aspirants considered for the vacancies on the high court.

Locsin earned his law degree from Ateneo de Manila University and a masters in law from Harvard University.

He served as presidential spokesperson, legal counsel and speech writer for the late President Corazon C. Aquino.

From 1977 to 1982, he was an associate at Angara, Abello, Concepcion, Regala and Cruz Law offices.

He has been executive editor of the renowned Philippines Free Press, publisher of the now defunct Daily Globe and publisher and editor in chief of the Today newspaper, which was acquired by the Manila Standard in 2005. With Inquirer Research