Senate questions envoy’s titles for GMA adviser, ex-ECOP head

The Senate questioned yesterday President Arroyo’s appointment of several ambassadors-at-large, saying the use of the title was in violation of the Foreign Service Act (FSA).

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. raised the issue during the budget hearing for the Office of the President.

Pimentel questioned the two highly publicized appointments of Presidential Adviser on International Competitiveness Roberto Romulo as ambassador and businessman Donald Dee as ambassador and special envoy for international trade negotiations.

"We believe that this is not sanctioned by the law. We are concerned with that. The problem is that the Foreign Service Act restricts the use of the word ‘ambassador’ to people who are given specific assignments to specific places and have been approved by the Commission on Appointments," Pimentel said.

Senate President Franklin Drilon said that the provision is contained in Section 16 of the Foreign Service Act of 1991, which specifically says that appointments to ambassadorial posts should be to a specific country or diplomatic post only.

"You cannot use the title unless you are appointed to a specific country or unless you are a career foreign service officer. It’s in contravention of the clear policy of the Foreign Service Act," Drilon said.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said he would examine the provisions of the FSA and give his feedback to the Senate.

He noted that the rationale behind the appointment of Romulo was "the wide reach he has as previous foreign affairs secretary." Dee, on the other hand, was the former president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines.

Drilon said the Senate has noted similar problems last year in the Bureau of Immigration, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Land Bank of the Philippines.

In the case of the Bureau of Immigration, Drilon said Mrs. Arroyo appointed five commissioners instead of three.

In the case of the SBMA, there should only be one chairman and one administrator but the President appointed two, causing several problems.

TESDA and Land Bank should be headed ex-officio by the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Finance respectively, Drilon said, but the appointments made by the President did not follow the rule.

"Adherence to the law should be a principle of appointments. This cannot be justified. I would strongly suggest that these matters be looked into," Drilon said.