Political envoys given 3 months to wind up affairs

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has extended the tour of duty of ambassadors with non-career and coterminous status to three months so they can finish their duties in their posts.

In an advisory sent to 21 political ambassadors last July 1, the DFA has extended their tour of duty from noon of June 30 to Sept. 30.

Several ambassadors have resisted the recall order. Career ambassadors, those who have a fixed six-year tour of duty, are not affected by the recall orders.

“The additional period will allow these ambassadors to finish protocular and administrative arrangements undertaken by departing diplomats, including farewell calls on host government officials and diplomatic colleagues,” DFA said in a statement.

The DFA said political ambassadors Generoso Senga (Iran), Alejandro del Rosario (Warsaw), Acmad Omar (Oman), Masaranga Umpa (Nigeria) and Alexander Yano (Brunei) have already returned to the country.

Ambassadors Rigoberto Tiglao (Athens), Antonio Villamor (Riyadh) and Domingo Siazon Jr. (Tokyo) have also arrived in the country.

Senior DFA officials, who requested anonymity, said among the non-career ambassadors who resisted the recall orders were: Ana Ines de Sequera-Ugarte (Madrid); Acmad Omar (Muscat ); Antonio Villamor (Riyadh); Vidal Querol (Jakarta) and Ernesto de Leon (Canberra).

The ambassadors recalled to the home office are Ma. Consuelo Puyat-Reyes (Santiago); Francisco Ortigas III (Mexico); Jose Brillantes (Ottawa); Francisco Benedicto (Beijing); Noe Wong (Phnom Penh); Shirley Ho-Vicario (Port Moresby); Bienvenido Tejano (Wellington); Delia Albert (Berlin); Manuel Antonio Teehankee (Geneva WTO); Antonio Manuel Lagdameo Jr. (London); Regina Irene Sarmiento (Prague); Mercedes Tuason (Vatican); Yano (Brunei); Cardozo Luna (The Hague); Yano, Tiglao, Del Rosario, Siazon, Villamor, Omar, Querol, De Leon and Ugarte.

DFA officials said the regular rotation in the foreign service would be disrupted if many political ambassadors would refuse to give up their posts.

Sen. Edgardo Angara said diplomats should not leave their posts until their replacements have been appointed because it is considered an offense under the rules of diplomatic relations.

“Let us not let our political practices affect these. In the diplomatic service, they (ambassadors) stay until formally replaced. They cannot leave their duties to the charge d’affairs,” Angara said in a radio interview.

Sen. Franklin Drillon, however, said the ambassadors should have come home prudently because the charge d’affairs can take over their functions until their replacements have been appointed.

He said diplomats with coterminous status could not be charged with abandonment because their appointments expired at the end of the term of the appointing power. – With Christina Mendez