Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations Teddy Boy Locsin Jr. said Friday he accepted the offer of President Rodrigo Duterte to be the next foreign affairs secretary.

"I was asked, I said yes," said Locsin on his Twitter account when asked if he is the upcoming chief of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Locsin replied after Duterte, during a press conference early Friday following his arrival from Bali, Indonesia, said it would be better to ask Locsin if he had accepted the offer.

Locsin will replace outgoing DFA Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano who will be running as Taguig City representative in the May 2019 elections.

Early this week, Duterte announced Cayetano was one among the few Cabinet officials who would be resigning because he has to file his certificate of candidacy for a congressional seat.

He had said Cayetano had a replacement but he could not announce him yet.

Locsin said he loves UN and the many friends and intellectual companions he made.

"But I didn't say no when asked as I didn't when he (Duterte) told me I was UN ambassador," he said.

Locsin served as Makati representative and he became also the speechwriter and press secretary of late President Corazon Aquino. Celerina Monte/DMS