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Retired envoys take up cudgels for demoralized active foreign service officers

Published by Ellen on November 6, 2016

Retired ambassador Jaime J. Yambao wrote in his column in Manila Times that the Board of Governors the Philippine Ambassadors Foundation Inc. (PAFI) at its last meeting agreed to “express its alarm and concern over the demoralization in the ranks of career ambassadors caused by the announced and probable appointment of political ambassadors to the country’s diplomatic and consular posts abroad.”

One cannot expect the active foreign service officers to come out about their misgivings with the way things are in foreign service so their “elders”, the retired ambassadors are taking up the cudgels for them because they are all “committed to promoting and upholding the professionalization of the (foreign) service for the effective pursuit of the interests of the country and its people. “

Yambao said, “The board therefore deplores the appointment of non-career ambassadors on the basis of contributions the prospective appointee made to the election campaign kitty of the appointing power or powers, or upon the recommendation of campaign contributors and supporters.

“One such appointment that has not escaped the notice of the PAFI board involves yanking a career ambassador, a former undersecretary of foreign affairs for policy no less and a topnotcher of the Foreign Service Officers examination, from a post at which he is newly arrived and has just presented his credentials. This is almost unheard of, even in the Philippines. Political appointments have always been to vacant or about-to-be-vacant posts.”

Paynor’s ambassadorial assignment to the U.S. on hold

Published by Ellen on November 3, 2016

Marciano Paynor, head or the 2017 Asean Organizing Committee.Photo from ABS-CBN online.

President Duterte has decided that his choice to be ambassador to the United States, Marciano “Jun” Paynor will not go to Washington States this year.

It has nothing to do with the uncertain state of PH-US relations.

Duterte feels that Paynor is needed here for the preparations of the 2017 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) meeting which will be hosted by the Philippines. There will be two summits, one for the 10 ASEAN leaders that will be held mid- 2017 and what is called ASEAN plus –plus meeting involving leaders of other dialogue countries namely Australia, China, Japan, India, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and United States sometime in the later part of next year.

Paynor confirmed this: “I’m making sure that all the preparations for our hosting of ASEAN 2017 from January to November next year are on stream. I serve at the pleasure of the President and wherever he thinks I can be of help, that’s where I’ll be. “

Paynor said, “That I’m not going to DC till the end of the year is sure, but, that I’ll not be going anymore remains to be seen. “

To each his own version of modus vivendi in Scarborough shoal

Published by Ellen on November 2, 2016

Fishermen back from Scarborough shoal with their catch.Photo from ABS-CBN online.

With the confirmation by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana that the three Chinese Coast Guard ships are still in Scarborough shoal, the statement of China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying last Monday underscored that Filipino fishermen are back in Scarborough Shoal on the benevolence of China.

Asked to confirm reports that China “okayed Philippine fishermen’s fishing near Huangyan Dao, ” Hua asserted China’s ownership and control of the area: “The Chinese side has always been exercising normal jurisdiction over Huangyan Dao. The situation there is and will remain unchanged.”

She mentioned “arrangements” made after the meeting of Duterte and Xi last Oct. 20 in Beijing.

“We have seen all-round improvement of China-Philippines relations following President Duterte’s visit to China. Under such circumstances, the Chinese side makes proper arrangements based on the friendship between China and the Philippines in response to the issue of President Duterte’s concern,”

Mourning the lack of collective outrage

Published by Ellen on October 30, 2016

Every Undas or All Souls Day (Nov. 2) when Filipinos troop to cemeteries to remember departed loved ones, I always think of the families of desaparecidos.

Where do they go to offer flowers and light the candles for their dead whom they didn’t bury? I think of Edith Burgos, whose son Jonas was last seen on April 28, 2007 at the Ever Gotesco Mall. I think of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno who were last seen on June 26, 2006 in Hagonoy, Bulacan.

There are many more: Father Rudy Romano, a Redemptorist priest who served landless peasants and displaced settlers and the six workers of Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines namely Joseph Belar, Jovencio Lagare, Romualdo Orcullo, Diosdado Oliver, Artemio Ayala Jr. and Arnold Dangkiasan.

The list is long according to Asian Federation against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) and Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND).

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Is President Duterte a Foreign Service graduate?

Published by Ellen on October 29, 2016

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Is President Duterte a Foreign Service graduate? October 29, 2016 IN his state visit to China, President Rodrigo Duterte said he…

Duterte a Foreign Service graduate?

Published by Ellen on October 27, 2016

Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, along with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, welcomed by honor guards upon his arrival at the Prime Minister’s Office in Japan Oct.26. Malacanang photo by Albert Alcain.

Do you know that President Rodrigo Duterte is a Foreign Service graduate?

That what he said in his press conference with the foreign correspondents in China last Oct. 19.

He boasted: “Now that I am the President, by the grace of God, I read a lot; I’m a lawyer and I studied geopolitics and all, and also I am a graduate of the Foreign Service so I get to know how to balance this contending (forces).”

Being a “foreign service graduate” is quite a big leap from just having taken up foreign service which was what he said last Aug. 21, in a press conference in Davao City.

Comelec probes Duterte’s campaign finance

Published by Ellen on October 26, 2016

By MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL, VERA Files The Commission on Elections Campaign Finance Office (CFO) has started looking into campaign finance records of President Rodrigo Duterte…

South China Sea in Japan visit agenda

Published by Ellen on October 26, 2016

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is greeted by Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhide Ishikawa upon his arrival at the Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan on October 25. Malacanang photo by Albert Alcain.

By CHARMAINE DEOGRACIAS
VERA Files

IF the South China Sea took a backseat in President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to China, it will be high in the agenda in his bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday.

A diplomatic source said, Duterte will look to Japan for its maritime security needs in the South China Sea.

“On the South China Sea issue, it will be a conscious effort for us to use or message it that we are strengthened strategic partner, it’s not just any partnership, it’s a strengthened strategic partnership. Center to this is maritime security and when he talks of maritime security, it’s not just the civilian maritime law enforcement side, that will necessarily involve defense,” a source at the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

So it boils down to visa issue

Published by Ellen on October 23, 2016

Pres. Duterte lambasts the United States in a meeting with Filipino community in China. Malacanang photo by Toto Lozano.

President Duterte’s sharing of his experience with “American idiotic arrogance” has lifted part of the veil of mystery about the reason for his intense hostility towards the United States that many are concerned is adversely affecting long-standing Philippine-US relations.

In his speech before Philippines-China Trade and Investment Forum in Beijing during his three day visit to China (it was there where he announced the Philippines will “separate” with the United States militarily and economically) he related his encounter with immigration officials in Los Angeles Airport.

His story: “I was going to Brazil with some of the Congressmen and when we came back – because our entry, port of entry was L.A going there was Miami. You know when I was cleared by Customs, I was going out at the LA LAX airport. Here comes this black guy in uniform also black, with the pistol also black and his shoes was black and I thought that he was somebody – no slur intended that is his original color. And he accosted me and said “May I see your passport.” So I gave him, it was a diplomatic passport because we were travelling most of the Congressman in my entourage were travelling with passport diplomatic. And he said, “Where is your letter of authority to travel?” And so that was the first time that I say it was missing. And I said with probably because that letter was addressed to the port of entry in South American, which is Brazil and it was not clipped and so probably it was not re-inserted in the passport and it was lost this way. “

Duterte allows Xi to take lead on South China Sea issue

Published by Ellen on October 20, 2016

Pres. Duterte being interviewed by Beijing-based media upon arrival in China. Malacanang photo by King Rodriguez.

By CHARMAINE DEOGRACIAS, VERA Files

President Rodrigo Duterte will not initiate and will instead let Chinese President Xi Jinping to take the lead on whether the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration will be discussed in their meeting today.

In a press conference in Wednesday night with Beijing-based media, on the eve of his meeting with Xi, Duterte said, “As a friend, and I would say this now, if he (Xi) mentions it in passing I will just say, Mr. President I don’t want to make hardline position. I don’t want to ask you to do it now because there will be a time that we shall be doing it. But I have to wait for your President to mention it in passing for me to respond.”

Duterte said the talking points will be broad enough to accommodate all issues but out of courtesy, the “oriental way” he would wait for the right time. He said the general outline of the agenda was reached in the preliminary talks between Philippines Foreign Secretary and his Chinese counterpart.

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