Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo (left), former DFA secretary Teddy Boy Locsin Jr. (Rep. Salo's office, Facebook)

Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo is prodding the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) immediately disavow an X post from Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Teddy Boy Locsin Jr. wherein the latter "sarcastically" explained "why Palestinian children should be killed".

"For the peace and safety of our kababayans and OFWs (overseas Filipino workers), particularly those located in the crisis areas and Muslim countries, I urge the [DFA] to immediately issue a statement disavowing, if not denouncing, Ambassador Locsin’s social media post," Salo, chairman of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, said in statement Monday, Oct. 23

Locsin also serves as special envoy to China. He was a DFA secretary under the previous Duterte administration.

He made the controversial social media post amid the ongoing conflict between Israeli forces and Hamas rebel fighters. The ongoing episode of violence was triggered by Hamas' rocket attack against Israel from Gaza Strip last Oct. 7.

Gaza is a Palestinian-occupied territory in the Israel-Egypt border.

"I fully respect Ambassador Teddy Locsin, Jr.’s personal opinion on the Palestine people, including children, and of our Muslim brothers and sisters, no matter how savage, appalling and needlessly provocative. For a man of his stature - a respected journalist, former congressman, former secretary of foreign affairs, and now ambassador to the United Kingdom, and special envoy to China - such opinion, though, is incomprehensible," Salo said.

"As a high-ranking official of the Philippine government, making his provocative personal opinion public by posting it in social media is highly irresponsible," the veteran solon stressed.

Salo claimed that Locsin's statement "incites hatred and hostility not only against the Palestine people but also against our Muslim brothers and sisters in the Philippines and around the world, a crime in most jurisdictions, and is outlawed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)".

Salo said that while the social media savvy envoy has apologized for his remarks and stated that they were a "sarcastic response", the X post "may be perceived as the official stand of the Philippine government".

"Worse," the Kabayan lawmaker said, "It jeopardizes our Filipino diplomats particularly in the Middle East who may be perceived as sharing his opinion."

"Worst, it endangers the lives of our already vulnerable kababayans scattered all over the world, mostly concentrated in Muslim countries, which do not share the ambassador’s sarcasm, no matter how witty or amusing he thinks he appears," he said.

"With all the challenges, troubles and suffering our OFWs are facing, the last thing we want is to add fuel to the fire. And it is regrettable that such instigation is coming from no less than a Philippine ambassador," Salo further said.