Philippine Top Diplomat Locked Out of Twitter After Violent Tweet

(Bloomberg) -- Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin’s Twitter account has been locked, limiting his access to the social media platform, according to an activist group whose members he said should be shot.

Bayan group’s secretary-general Renato Reyes said that Locsin’s Twitter account has been locked. Twitter and the Department of Foreign Affairs couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.

Locsin, known for his controversial tweets, last week reacted to an article in which the activist group questioned why the Balikatan military exercises would still be held in May despite the cancellation of the military pact with the U.S. Bayan, founded in 1985 as part of the opposition against then-president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos, is an alliance of left-wing organizations.

Under Twitter rules, a tweet found violating its rules and yet to be deleted by the person who tweeted it will be hidden behind a notice.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ditas Lopez in Manila at dlopez55@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Cecilia Yap at cyap19@bloomberg.net, Ruth Pollard

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.