Palace pressuring Romulo to revoke recall order for political envoys

MANILA, Philippines - Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo is being pressured by Malacañang to revoke the recall orders for ambassadors.

Senior officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) revealed Malacañang had prevailed upon Romulo to revoke his orders, pointing out that ambassadors still had the hold over capacity until after the new president decides not to extend their appointment.

Romulo issued the order recalling the ambassadors since their appointments are co-terminus with President Arroyos term of office.

In a two-page memorandum, Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza informed Romulo of the Presidents instructions to defer the implementation of Assignment Order No. 207-10 dated 28 April 2010, subject to pertinent laws and further instructions from the appointing authority.

Romulo, however, reportedly resented the order from Malacañang.

Secretary Romulo maintained the recall orders are very clear that the political ambassadors are still co-terminus with the appointing authority and that is President Arroyo. They should come home unless the new president extends them, an official said.

The deferment of the recall orders does not change the nature of their appointment, another official pointed out.

DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya confirmed the order to revoke the recall orders issued by Romulo.

The recall orders are therefore deferred, without necessarily changing the nature of the appointments of the political ambassadors which are co-terminus with their appointing authority. This will be so unless the president-elect directs otherwise upon his assumption to office, Malaya said.

DFA Assistant Secretary Victoria Bataclan, on the other hand, said the memorandum to defer the implementation of the recall orders would only create confusion in diplomatic missions.

Bataclan cited the Supreme Court ruling of Isabello Astraquillo vs. Raul Manglapus where the tour of duty of ambassadors would also end at the term of the appointing authority.

The service ends (on June 30) so in effect the order is useless. Its completely useless, Bataclan said.

She said the deferral order would only confuse the countrys diplomatic posts.

(This is) a situation where some ambassadors might interpret this as a signal to hold over, Bataclan said.

Bataclan argued there would be no good faith in the order since it would defy the norms that the term of office of the ambassador ends at the same time as the appointing power.

Senior DFA officials added the proper remedy is to allow the new president to revoke Malacañangs order, noting the earlier statements made by president-elect Benigno Aquino III that he would review all appointments and revoke them if they were improper.

DFA officials said it has been the practice for ambassadors to come home upon the assumption of the new president.

They said the only exception was made when Mrs. Arroyo took over the short-lived term of former President Joseph Estrada in 2001.