Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. cursed at any personnel who would require passport renewal applicants to bring copies of their birth certificate, raising concerns about how he uses language in social media.
A Twitter user on February 18, Monday asked Locsin if birth certificates are required in passport renewals following the data controversy that hounded the agency on January 2019.
The Philippines’ chief diplomat threatened to “f*cking kill” whoever will ask for birth certificates during the passport renewal process.
He clarified in another tweet that birth certificates are only required in certain instances.
While there were Twitter users amused by Locsin’s use of profanity in the way he answered the query, there were others who questioned the need for it.
Haha need talaga magmura?
— Jan Pampliega (@JanPampliega) February 19, 2019
Others told him to ease up on his usual fiery disposition on social media.
Can’t blame you Secretary but please ……. pic.twitter.com/ELFbZNireu
— Bernadette Corsame🇵🇭 (@adettelcorsame) February 18, 2019
Some Twitter users suggested that they would print out Locsin’s strong remark and show it to any personnel who would require them to bring birth certificates.
Just screen shot this and will show it to Putanginang DFA officials when asked for my birth certificate. Thank you!
— Invest In Your Future (@InvestNow_PH) February 19, 2019
Loose-tongued
Locsin’s answer to the Twitter user’s query was not the first time he had used profanity social media.
When the former Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations was assigned the Foreign Affairs Secretary post, concerns about his use of expletives and strong language were noted.
He is among the most active government officials on social media with around 236,000 tweets on his profile. He has a tendency to send directives to other DFA officials on his public Twitter.
An online lifestyle and features website previously published an article that touched on how Locsin replies to social media users with words such as “hijo de p*ta,” “f*ck face” and “fat b*tch.”
He was also criticized for using the word “bakla” as an insult despite supposedly supporting same-sex marriage.
Verbal abuse, according to the director of the Brogaard Lab for Multisensory Research at the University of Miami, is when someone attacks another person using words “as a weapon.”
“It can take a variety of forms ranging from loud rants to passive-aggressive remarks,” neuroscientist Berit Brogaard said.
Healthline additionally noted that verbal abuse is when “someone repeatedly uses words to demean, frighten, or control” a person.
They enumerated that if the words include name-calling and are intended to condescend, criticize, degrade, manipulate, accuse, isolate, gaslight and threaten a person, it is considered verbally abusive.
Public conduct of officials
Being a government official, Locsin is supposed to adhere to the Republic Act 6713 or the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.”
It was enacted to “promote a high standard of ethics in public service.”
Under the code, government officials are supposed to conduct their duties “with the highest degree of excellence, professionalism, intelligence and skill.”
Furthermore, they “must act with justness and sincerity and shall not discriminate against anyone, especially the poor and the underprivileged.”
Public officials are additionally not allowed to do “acts contrary to law, good morals, good customs, public policy, public order, public safety and public interest.”