DFA: German journalist’s report on Locsin ‘incomplete, misleading’

MANILA, Philippines — German journalist Arnd Herze’s report on Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin Jr. is “incomplete and misleading,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Friday.

“The video posted by Mr. Henze on his blog is incomplete and misleading. It failed to show Mr. Henze’s deliberate attempts to provoke Secretary Locsin into giving controversial remarks,” the DFA said in a statement.

DFA was referring to Herze of the Berlin-based ARD Hauptstadtstudio, who said the Federal Foreign Office of Germany has called an acting Philippine ambassador over remarks made by Locsin defending President Rodrigo Duterte’s earlier statement that compares himself to the late dictator Adolf Hitler.

READ: Germany summons PH envoy over Locsin’s defense of Duterte’s Hitler remarks

Locsin’s statement approving Duterte’s “Hitler” remarks was featured in a video posted in the ARD Hauptstadtstudio’s website.

“It’s how he expresses himself. Remember, his policy, according to the surveys, has inspired greater confidence. Why would we give up on that?” Locsin said in the interview.

“I said the same thing. I myself said the same thing before he even said it,” he added.

The DFA said the interview was “unfortunate” as it was a “biased representation.”

“The Department views as unfortunate the biased representation by Mr. Arnd Henze of ARD Capital Studio Berlin of his interview with Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. at the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the new building of the Philippine Embassy in Berlin,” DFA said.

The interview came after Duterte compared his administration’s drug war to Hitler and the Holocaust. The President noted that he’d be “happy to slaughter” three million addicts.

“Hitler massacred 3 million Jews … there’s 3 million drug addicts. There are. I’d be happy to slaughter them,” Duterte said in a speech in September 2016.  /ee