By REY O. ARCILLA
‘The DFA has officers with sufficient training in other languages. The problem is the Department seldom takes that into consideration when assigning them abroad.’
When President Aquino decided to appoint Sonia Brady as envoy to Beijing in the midst of our territorial dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea, everybody, including me, felt it was a very good choice.
However, when I heard that Sonia had a stroke early this year, I feared that the heavy responsibility she would be taking on would not be good for her health. I am not a doctor but I happen to know that stroke victims do not fully recover in a short period. I have seen it in both my father and mother and two brothers.
Given the stroke she suffered again last week, it is unlikely she will be able to devote full time to her duties for a while. I guess she will have to decide for herself whether to carry on or not. Whichever decision she takes, I wish her the best as always.
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Incidentally, Noynoy quietly swore into office last week Carlos Chan aka Kiong Ki See as special envoy of the president to China. He is based in Manila and China.
Why? What for? Political accommodation or as a personal favor? This practice of appointing special envoys only undermines the work of our envoys and consuls general in a foreign country, especially if they do not coordinate their activities with the latter.
According to WikiPilipinas, Chan, 68, is a Filipino-Chinese business tycoon who founded Liwayway Marketing Corporation, manufacturer of Oishi brand food products. The company now has more than 12 factories all over China. It also has factories in Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand.
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DFA’s future ex-undersecretary for administration Rafael Seguis said “some heads will have to roll” over the reported issuance of a “fake” passport to fugitive Joel Reyes, former governor of Palawan. Reyes is suspected of having masterminded the murder of environmentalist and broadcast journalists Gerry Ortega.
Don’t hold your breath. Seguis and his boss, Secretary Albert “Amboy” del Rosario, are not exactly known for their strict adherence to Noynoy’s “daang matuwid” principle. They have consistently ignored and failed to conduct an investigation of certain irregularities in the DFA brought to their attention through this space.
Take for instance the case of the notorious Michael Macaraig whose suspension for one year due to conduct unbecoming of a staffer will expire next month. He was once president of the DFA Personnel Association but has so far refused, as of last month, to turn over the funds of the Association to the incumbent president. The Department should have filed a case against him before the Ombudsman long ago. Why has it not? Who is protecting him? Del Rosario? Seguis? Who?
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Senator Edgardo Angara made a rather sweeping statement last week about the declining quality of our career foreign service officers. He specifically referred to the inability of our envoys to speak the language of their countries of assignment and their lack of educational qualifications compared to the envoys of other countries.
He is partly wrong on both counts.
We do have officers with sufficient training in other languages. The problem is the Department seldom takes that into consideration when assigning them abroad.
On the second point, DFA does have a number of officers with post-graduate degrees, but few of them on international relations. It is also true that other countries like some of our Asean partners have mostly envoys with doctoral and masteral degrees. What Angara does not know, however, is that these officers usually acquire their degrees courtesy of their respective governments. They are allowed to study in Ivy League-type schools as government scholars, with their salaries paid in full.
Contrary to what Angara said, we do have a Foreign Service Institute in the DFA. What needs to be done is for Congress to provide more funds to convert it into a full-fledged and world-class institute that will offer free of charge to DFA officers courses leading to masteral and doctoral degrees in international relations. Foreign funding may also be sought.
Otherwise, we can send our diplomats on full scholarships here or abroad.
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Based on her qualifications, Maria Lourdes Sereno should make a good chief justice. By “good” I also mean hers will not turn out to be a “Noynoy court”.
The litmus test will be the Luisita case already decided upon with finality by the Supreme Court under impeached Renato Corona. The moment she touches that case and the verdict goes in favor of the Aquinos, her independence/impartiality will immediately be laid suspect. Noynoy’s detractors will also have a field day blasting his “daang matuwid” principle as a farce.
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Ms. Gloria Arroyo reportedly wants to go abroad for medical reasons. If it is really needed, let her go for humanitarian reasons – provided she confesses first to all the charges lodged against her. She should also be accompanied by a number of officials and security pesonnel whose salaries, overtime pay, airfares, hotel accommodation and all other expenses shall be on her account. Otherwise, no deal.
Incidentally, has her husband Mike returned from his last trip abroad? He was granted permission to go a second time to Hong Kong and Japan. Surprisingly, he has not been seen since his wife started going in and out of the hospital. Where is he? If he is not back, isn’t the government worried that he may have already established residence abroad somewhere? If so, what happens to the cases filed against him? More importantly, what happens to lady justice? Trampled upon again?
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Reminders (for Noynoy’s action):
1) Filing of charges against officials of the National Food Administration (NFA) during Arroyo’s illegitimate regime. Noynoy himself said on several occasions that there is documentary evidence to prove the venalities in the past in that agency; 2) Investigation of reported anomalies in the GSIS during the watch of Winston Garcia; 3) Facilitating the investigation of rampant corruption in the military and police establishments; and 4) Expeditious action by the AFP on the case of Jonas Burgos.
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Today is the 114th day of the sixth year of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance
From an internet friend:
Comments made by NBC sports commentators during the Olympics that they would like to take back:
1. Dressage commentator: “This is really a lovely horse and I speak from personal experience since I once mounted her mother.”
2. Paul Hamm, gymnast: “I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father.”
3. Boxing analyst: “Sure, there have been injuries and even some deaths in boxing, but none of them really that serious.”
4. Softball commentator: “If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again.”
5. Tennis commentator: “One of the reasons Andy is playing so well is that, before the final round, his wife takes out his balls and kisses them… Oh my God, what have I just said?!”
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Email: roacrosshairs @yahoo.com
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