Teodoro Locsin Jr.

Locsin was born in Manila on November 15, 1948. His father was the prominent newspaperman and publisher Teodoro Locsin Sr.[2] He studied in the Ateneo de Manila University and received a bachelor's degree in Law and Jurisprudence.

When Senior Associate Justice Leonardo Quisumbing retired from the Supreme Court in 2009, Locsin was among the candidates nominated by the Judicial and Bar Council as a potential replacement. However, he was not appointed to the said post.[4] In 2012, he was nominated as chief justice to replace Renato Corona[5] but the post eventually went to then-Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

He was designated as the Philippines' Permanent Representative to the United Nations by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2017. It was announced that he accepted the appointment on September 18, 2016.[6] His term officially began when he presented his credentials to António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, on April 19, 2017.[7] Under his leadership, the Philippines voted to abstain from the challenge against the legality of the Independent Expert on SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) at a November 2016 session.[8] Also, the Philippines was among 10 nations that voted against a UN resolution urging Myanmar to end its military campaign against Rohingya Muslims living in the Rakhine state in November 2017.[9] Additionally, the country was one of only 35 nations to abstain on the UN vote to declare the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital null and void during an emergency December 2017 session of the UN General Assembly.[9] On March 2018, Locsin submitted the country's letter of withdrawal from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, after President Duterte expressed his intent to withdraw from the court.[9] Locsin vacated the post of Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations on October 12, 2018 upon assuming the post of foreign affairs secretary.

Locsin (left) with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in February 2019

In October 11, 2018, Locsin announced that president Rodrigo Duterte offered him the post of Secretary of Foreign Affairs, which was held by Alan Peter Cayetano. Cayetano will run in the 2019 elections for representative of Taguig city, effectively vacating the position.[10] He was sworn in by President Duterte as foreign affairs secretary on October 17, 2018,[1] and his appointment confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on November 28, 2018.[11]

• Secretary of Foreign Affairs (2018–present)
• Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations (2017–2018)
• Law Professor at San Beda University (2015–2017)
• Host of #NoFilter on ANC (2016)
• Radio anchor of DZRH Executive Session (2014– Present)
• Segment anchor of The World Tonight's TEDitorial (2011–2017)
• Former host of Assignment on ABS-CBN (1994–2003)
• Publisher and editor-in-chief of Today Newspaper (1993–2005)
• Executive director of Philippine Free Press magazine (1993–2013)
• Publisher of The Daily Globe newspaper (1988–1993)
• Presidential speechwriter of Office of the President (1985–1992)
• Presidential spokesperson, legal counsel and speechwriter, office of Pres. Corazon Aquino of Ministry of Information, Malacañang (1986–1988)
• Locsin was known as the speechwriter of Corazon Aquino, who penned her standing ovation speech at the US Congress (1986)
• Lecturer of US War College (1991)
• Press Secretary (1986–1987)
• Executive assistant to the chairman of Ayala Corporation and Bank of the Philippine Islands (1982–1985)
• Associate of Angara, Abello, Concepcion, Regala and Cruz Law offices (1977–1982)
• Editorial writer of Philippine Free Press (1967–1972)

Locsin has found himself at the center of various controversial public statements via the social media platform Twitter.

• List of foreign ministers in 2018
• List of current foreign ministers
• Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Philippines)