- Ho decided to question the secretary by asking him about which part of himself did he show outside the building of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
- The question was in relation to the confrontation between Locsin and the protesters last January 10.
Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr was slammed by television host and former athlete Gretchen Ho.
On January 17, Ho tweeted about the importance of authenticity. “Never underestimate the power of being REAL. #authenticity #truth”
Never underestimate the power of just being REAL. #authenticity #truth
— Gretchen Ho (@gretchenho) January 17, 2020
The next day Locsin answered that being real is “awful for others” which is why it’s best to act like how someone is expected to act in certain situations. He made a point about being the person the moment calls for and not how one really is.
“Be the best you can be like a US Marine,” he wrote.
What happened to plastic na fantastic? Being your real self is far more common and it is awful for others. Best to be what one should be in the circumstances, like cool and caring without calling attention to yourself. Be the best you can be like a US Marine. https://t.co/hVirlLMMIz
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) January 18, 2020
Ho then countered with a question: what part of him Locsin show during a recent protest outside the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)?
So which part of you was the one outside DFA? 😜
— Gretchen Ho (@gretchenho) January 18, 2020
Ho was referring to the secretary’s face-off with the protesters who gathered outside DFA on January 10 to demand that the government refrain from sending troops to the Middle East. This was after the government planned to send two battalions to evacuate Filipinos from the area.
It got to a point wherein Locsin entered a heated argument with the protesters from Migrante and Bayan Muna. After a few minutes, he decided to leave the protest and enter the DFA building.
But Migrante Chairman Arman Hernando shouted and accused Locsin of doing nothing to help the OFWs in the Middle East. “Kayo po, palagi nalang kayo nagsasalita sa TV, wala po kayong hinadandang na programa para OFWs natin,” said Hernando.
Locsin then turned around and challenged Hernando to a fight saying, “Oh sige bugbugin mo ako!”
WATCH: Before the confrontation, DFA Secretary Locsin challenged Arman Hernando of Migrante International into a fight saying, "Oh, sige, bugbugin mo ako!"#NoWarInIran#DownWithUSImperialism pic.twitter.com/IffxoCFbHk
— CEGP (@CEGPhils) January 10, 2020
Protesters and Locsin only calmed down when a former OFW aired her concerns about the situation in the Middle East as her sister is also in the region. She pleaded for the secretary to bring her home safely.
The protest then ended peacefully.