Locsin doesn’t want panda to starve to death, turns down China offer

MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said he turned down an offer made by a “mainland well connected Chinese friend” to give the Philippines a panda bear.

“Why I politely dismissed an offer to give us one. We can’t starve another animal to death in a dead zoo. We’re just no good at this,” Locsin said over Twitter on Thursday.

Why I politely dismissed an offer to give us one. We can't starve another animal to death in a dead zoo. We're just no good at this. https://t.co/zT40y2RSxe

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

“…That was a year ago from a mainland well connected Chinese friend. Not the government,” he added in a separate tweet on Friday.

Oh for heaven’s sake that was a year ago from a mainland well connected Chinese friend. Not the government. https://t.co/1fOpDc7C7p

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) October 18, 2019

Locsin was reacting to a story by international news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) on the death of a panda China had loaned to Thailand.

According to AFP’s report, a Chinese government agency said the panda died of a heart attack.

“Chuang Chuang”, a 19-year-old panda, died in September this year in his enclosure shortly after standing up following a meal of bamboo leaves, the Associated Press earlier reported.

“Chuang Chuang” and his female mate, “Lin Hui”, arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2003 on a 10-year loan that was later extended for another 10 years. /gsg

READ: Popular panda on loan from China dies in Thai zoo