Guingona: Mexican envoy’s apology not enough

The Philippine government is demanding a formal written apology from no less than the Mexican foreign minister for the humiliation suffered by Vice President and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teofisto Guingona last week in Monterrey.

Guingona, who is in the United States, told Undersecretary Franklin Ebdalin in a phone conversation that no less than an apology from Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castañeda would suffice.

Mexican Ambassador Enrique Hubbard has already submitted a written apology for the "terrible discourtesy" inflicted on Guingona last March 21 when the vice president was mistaken for a gatecrasher at luncheon meeting for diplomats and businessmen.

Guingona was turned away despite his having an invitation to the luncheon, which was held in conjunction with the United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development.

He politely left but immediately sent a cable to Manila to file a diplomatic protest against Mexico for the incident.

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) instructed incoming Ambassador to Mexico Justo Oros not to proceed to the host country for the presentation of his credentials.

Oros, a former La Union governor, was told to remain in Los Angeles, California until the Philippines is "satisfied" with the formal apology it wants from the Mexican foreign ministry.

In his apology, Hubbard said Guingona should not have been turned away from the lunch meeting tendered for heads of states that attended the international summit in Monterrey.

"The Embassy of Mexico regrets profoundly the embarrassing incident, which created friction in the otherwise excellent relations between Mexico and the Philippines," Hubbard said.

Hubbard said they did invite Guingona, and that should have been sufficient, stressing turning him back was a terrible discourtesy.

"Nothing we say or do will fix the damage done. We can only express our sincere apology and assure the Vice President as well as the government and the people of the Philippines that the incident has no bearing on our official and personal feelings towards this beloved country or Mr. Guingona himself," he said.

However, Guingona told Ebdalin that he was not mollified. He said the apology coming no less from the Mexican foreign ministry should not be directed only to him but also to the country, the government and the people of the Philippines.

"What they did to me was not an insult to my person but to the government and the people of our country," he said.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Victoriano Lecaros said it is appropriate that an apology be expressed by the government official of similar stature.

"This incident involves the secretary of foreign affairs who happens to be the vice president. It is appropriate if a similar sentiment is expressed by someone of similar stature," Lecaros said in a press briefing.

He said Guingona, who was led to a seat in Table Number 5 in the dining hall, was fuming mad when he was humiliated by protocol officers who ordered him to leave the luncheon hosted by Nueva Leon Gov. Fernando Canales a few minutes after he arrived because his name was not on the guest list.

Guingona, already embarrassed, did not bother to stay and show the official invitation he was holding.

The Philippine delegation tried to convince Guingona not to leave the premises pending clarification from organizers as his attendance had been confirmed earlier.

However, Guingona himself decided it would serve no purpose if he stayed.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who witnessed the incident, also tried to convince conference organizers to allow Guingona to stay at Table 5.

The social event at Nueva Leon, which in the state of Monterrey, was evidently disorganized as several invited guests were shown on local television arguing with organizers over lack of adequate preparations.

Ebdalin said the discourtesy done by minor functionaries was no excuse.

"The Foreign Minister tried to pacify the Vice President by inviting him to his luncheon with other foreign ministers but the wrong has been done," Ebdalin said.

Guingona did not attend the state dinner hosted by Mexican President Vicente Fox on the evening of March 21, opting instead to meet with members of the Filipino community in Monterrey.

The Thai prime minister also did not attend the state dinner because his delegation was billeted at a hotel two hours away from the center of Monterrey City.

The head of the Brunei delegation chose to boycott the state dinner in sympathy with Guingona.

The Cuban delegation led by President Fidel Castro also reportedly received shabby treatment from organizers of the summit. Castro and his party were asked to leave the UN Conference after he delivered his speech at the plenary to "lessen the discomfiture" of US President George W. Bush and the European Union delegation.

‘Just resign’

Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Manuel Villar Jr. advised Guingona to resign as foreign affairs secretary because of the diplomatic slight.

Villar told reporters it would be good for the vice president to just leave the Department of Foreign Affairs since he would always get "snubbed" by other authorities.

"Mag-resign na lang siya (He should just resign)," Villar said, adding Guingona does not deserve such treatment.

Villar said the diplomatic protest filed with Mexico was the right step, and that those responsible for the blunder should be held liable, whether they are from the DFA or the Mexican government.

"The protest should continue. They should not do that to our beloved vice president. He should not be insulted," Villar said in a press conference.

It was not the first time for Guingona to suffer humiliation. When the government decided on the military exercises between the Philippines and the United States in Mindanao, Guingona was not consulted until he complained of being bypassed. – With Aurea Calica