Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. expressed his appreciation to President Duterte for appointing him as head of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and hoped he did not disappoint the outgoing leader.
Locsin expressed his sentiment in a tweet on Friday, May 13, as he represented Duterte in the US-ASEAN (United States-Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Special Summit in Washington DC.
President Duterte said he rejected the invitation to attend the US-ASEAN Summit considering the new president.
This evening, I welcomed ASEAN leaders to the White House for the first time in history, and reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Southeast Asia. We discussed the importance of working together to ensure security, prosperity, and respect for human rights for our one billion people. pic.twitter.com/nu6X5Lh2eh
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 13, 2022
According to Locsin, he can never thank Duterte enough for entrusting him with the DFA portfolio. The President appointed Locsin as DFA secretary in October 2018 as his predecessor Alan Peter Cayetano filed a certificate of candidacy to run for representative in the 2019 elections.
"I can never thank President Duterte enough for the challenge he told me to take on," he said.
"I have never been more honored and more challenged. I hope I did not disappoint him," he added.
In a gathering of leaders, I was but the shadow of my leader. When Duterte leaves his shadow follows him. I can never thank President Duterte enough for the challenge he told me to take on. I have never been more honored and more challenged. I hope I did not disappoint him. https://t.co/0ogotwcy6U
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 13, 2022
The veteran journalist said that he is a mere shadow of the chief executive who will disappear once the latter steps out of the spotlight.
"In a gathering of leaders, I was but the shadow of my leader. When Duterte leaves, his shadow follows him," Locsin said.
Locsin is one of the members of the Presidential Transition Committee (PTC) that Malacañang formed to ensure the smooth turnover of power to the next administration.
Heading the PTC is Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea. The other members are Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, Budget Undersecretary Tina Rose Marie Canda, and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua.