By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA
MANILA — The envoys of the United States (US), European Union (EU), and Australia on Wednesday welcomed the confirmation of Teodoro Locsin Jr. as Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary.
Locsin, who breezed through the committee level, was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments (CA) plenary on the same day.
In a tweet, US Ambassador Sung Kim congratulated the DFA chief and said he looked forward to working with him in strengthening further the US-Philippines alliance.
“Congratulations to SFA (Secretary of Foreign Affairs) Locsin on today’s confirmation — I look forward to working closely to further strengthen our great alliance!” he said.
EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen offered similar congratulatory message, adding he expects more engagement with the secretary in the future.
Outgoing Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely, for her part, is confident the Australia-Philippine relations will be in good hands with Locsin’s confirmation. Locsin and Gorely met Nov. 23 during the latter’s courtesy call at the DFA Office in Pasay.
“Congratulations to Secretary Locsin on his confirmation. I know from our recent meeting that Australia-Philippine relations are in good hands,” she said.
Locsin succeeds former DFA Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, who resigned from his post to run as congressman in Taguig City.
Locsin has served as legal counsel and speech writer to former Presidents Corazon Aquino, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Before assuming office as the country’s top diplomat, he was the Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.