MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ top diplomat on Friday, October 28, countered a meme showing him as a Chinese soldier, by posting another image of him wearing military fatigues and carrying an armalite in front of the Philippine flag. 

At around 9 am on Friday, Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr first posted a meme that depicted him as a member of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China. 

“This is the kindest vilification I got from my harshest critics,” Yasay said.

“I am keeping this photoshopped picture to keep me cheerful and amused while doing my job for the nation,” he added.

The Philippines’ top diplomat continued: “I must admit though that I am a ranking proud member of the PLA – Philippine Liberation Army – tasked to separate and unshackle our people from the colonial mind set of dependence and subservience.”

The meme came as critics accuse the Duterte administration of conceding to China the Philippines’ rights over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) in exchange for China’s incentives. At the same time, the Duterte administration vows an “independent foreign policy” that moves away from Washington and closer to Beijing. (READ: Duterte admin ‘independent’ from US, ‘bullied’ by China?)

Later on Friday, the top diplomat posted another image of him wearing military fatigues and carrying an armalite, in front of the Philippine flag. He was also donning a cap with an image of the Philippine flag as well.

Yasay, who helped campaign for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, said he is supporting Duterte’s war on drugs. 

The war on drugs has killed at least 4,276 people since July 1, a day after Duterte took office. 

It has also drawn criticism from the United States, the United Nations, and the European Parliament, among others, because it has been linked to at least 3,001 cases of extrajudicial or vigilante-style killings. 

Yasay has found himself defending the war on drugs before the UN.

In his Facebook post on Friday, Yasay said: “I am with President Duterte and the Filipino people in the all out war against illegal drugs. Tara na, sama na para sa kapakanan at kinabukasan ng ating bansa. (Let’s go, come with us for the welfare and future of our country.)”

Yasay is the boss of all Philippine ambassadors. His job is to assist Duterte, who remains the chief architect of foreign policy. 

Yasay has been criticized for his lack of “message discipline,” Journalist Ellen Tordesillas once wrote that Yasay’s major flaw is that “he talks to media too much. She said, “That’s a catastrophe if you are ignorant about the subject you are talking about.”

Once, Yasay also issued a major statement on Facebook, titled “America Has Failed Us.” The statement, which was uploaded on the DFA website, drew flak from sectors citing US aid for the Philippines. – Rappler.com