Gloria defers action on Luli case

Being a President’s child can also be a disadvantage.

President Arroyo, apparently fearing accusations of nepotism, continued to defer action on the appointment of her only daughter, Evangelina Lourdes "Luli" Macapagal-Arroyo, as foreign service officer (FSO) IV.

On the other hand, the President has approved the appointment of Noel Novicio and Myca Magnolia Maog who also passed the rigid oral and written examinations conducted last year by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for prospective diplomats.

Novicio, Maog and the young Arroyo were the only ones who passed the tests out of some 3,000 applicants.

DFA officials said it was a record low in terms of batting average in the history of the FSO examinations.

Mrs. Arroyo said, however, that all is not lost for her daughter, adding she may eventually sign Luli’s appointment papers.

She said Luli took the FSO tests while she was still vice president, and the results were released after she assumed the presidency on Jan. 20 following the ouster of Joseph Estrada by a military-backed people power II.

Vice President and concurrent Foreign Affairs Secretary Teofisto Guingona Jr. said he has endorsed the appointment of Luli, adding that she deserved it.

Career officials of the DFA also agreed with Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Lauro Baja who said there was no legal barrier for the President to sign the appointment papers of her daughter.

"The President’s signing of the appointment of Evangeline Lourdes and her batchmates is a matter of law," said Antonio Modena, Minister and Consul General to Paris, France.

Baja and Modena stressed that appointing FSOs is an exclusive function of the President which cannot be delegated.

"There is no nepotism here," Modena said in a letter to The STAR.

He cited Section 34 of the Foreign Service Act of 1992 which stated; "Only persons who have passed the open and competitive examination administered by the Board of Foreign Service Examinations are eligible for appointment as Foreign Service Officers."

"I believe that in the President’s efforts to be seen as fair and just, she would be committing an injustice," Modena added.

Meanwhile, over 40 career DFA officials slammed the appointment of Jose Ma. Ebro III as foreign affairs adviser, and Victor Gosiengfiao as senior foreign affairs adviser, as well as their posting with pay grades of FSO-IV and FSO II, respectively.

Ebro and Gosiengfiao were subsequently designated as ministers "for representation purposes."

The protesters said the posting of Ebro and Gosiengfiao was illegal for having violated Republic Act 7175 on appointments to such ranks.

"Since the appointments, posting and designation of Mr. Ebro and Mr. Gosiengfiao are invalid from the beginning, they should not be paid salaries and allowances and any such payment received should be reimbursed to the government. This is in addition to being recalled to Manila," the group said. – Marichu Villanueva