Ex-DFA chief named Arroyo adviser

President Arroyo has appointed former foreign affairs secretary Delia Albert as her presidential adviser for multilateral cooperative development.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita told The STAR yesterday that the details of the assignment, which would catapult Albert back into the inner circles of the Arroyo administration, are still being worked out.

But the career diplomat is expected to put her long experience in the service to handle matters related to the grants the country would receive from multilateral institutions and donor countries.

"She is very bright and her exposure in the international field would prove useful to her new assignment," Ermita said.

Albert rose from the ranks at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). She took over when Secretary Blas Ople died on Dec. 14 last year.

Her most recent assignment as DFA secretary was to head the Cabinet crisis management committee that worked for the release of kidnapped Filipino truck driver Angelo dela Cruz in July.

She was replaced by former Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo during a Cabinet revamp last August.

Ermita also announced the designation of Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) chairman and chief executive officer Antonio Basilio as officer-in-charge (OIC) of the de facto Philippine diplomatic mission in Taiwan.

In line with its one-China policy, the government does not maintain official relations with Taiwan.

Ermita said Basilio was designated as MECO OIC after Mrs. Arroyo accepted the resignation of retired Gen. Edgardo Espinosa.

Espinosa resigned as managing director of MECO effective Oct. 31 in an obvious attempt to preempt a Sandiganbayan ruling imposing a 90-day suspension against him while he undergoes trial on graft charges.

He is one of several military officials linked to the alleged anomalous purchase of P3.8 million worth of Kevlar helmets.

As a result of his resignation, Espinosa also gave up his appointment as the country’s resident representative to Taiwan.

The anti-graft law provides for the suspension of government officials accused of graft.

But Espinosa’s lawyers have argued that the provision does not apply to their client on the technicality that MECO is not a government body. — Marichu Villanueva