Locsin says German journalist wants him to ‘disown’ Duterte’s Hitler remark

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. (AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. asserted that a German journalist wanted him to disown President Rodrigo Duterte over the Chief Executive’s 2016 Adolf Hitler and Holocaust remark.

“Showed me his phone with clip of video of our President expecting me to do the usual thing: disown him. But all I saw and heard was a German asking about something his people to the people of God,” Locsin said in a tweet.

Not interested in picking a fight with me but with the Philippine president. Showed me his phone with clip of video of our President expecting me to do the usual thing: disown him. But all I saw and heard was a German asking about something his people to the people of God.

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) February 23, 2019

Locsin was referring to Arnd Henze of Berlin-based ARD Hauptstadtstudio, who said the Federal Foreign Office of Germany has called a Philippine acting ambassador over remarks made by Locsin, defending Duterte’s earlier statement comparing himself to the late dictator Adolf Hitler.

Henze noted that Locsin’s remarks “embracing” Duterte’s statement were “unacceptable.”

READ: https://globalnation.inquirer.net/173195/germany-summons-ph-envoy-over-locsins-defense-of-dutertes-hitler-remarks#ixzz5gGTFWwce

Locsin also replied to a netizen’s tweet who asked why would the German journalist wanted to pick a fight” with Locsin.

Locsin answered: “Not interested in picking a fight with me but with the Philippine president.”

Locsin then said in a separate tweet that his President’s remark on Hitler was only a “metaphor.”

“I said the Pres referring to Hitler & 3MJews is a metaphor. The killing of 6MJews, 20MRussians & innocents like Anne Frank in WW2 is historical fact. I guess he was annoyed that I refused to disown the Pres & pointed that out bec he left & the next day he went on the attack,” he said in another tweet.

I said the Pres referring to Hitler & 3MJews is a metaphor. The killing of 6MJews, 20MRussians & innocents like Anne Frank in WW2 is historical fact. I guess he was annoyed that I refused to disown the Pres & pointed that out bec he left & the next day he went on the attack.

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) February 23, 2019

In September 2016, Duterte compared his administration’s bloody drug war to Hitler and the Holocaust, noting that he’d be “happy to slaughter” three million addicts.

Locsin’s interview affirming Duterte’s remarks on Hitler was featured in a video which was posted on the ARD Hauptstadtstudio’s website.

“It’s how he express himself, remember, his policy, according to the surveys, has inspired a 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.