Aquino defends decision to extend term of political ambassadors

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino defended yesterday his decision to extend for three more months in a holdover capacity the terms of 21 political ambassadors who were appointed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“We just have to go through this procedure. We are going through the process. This is on a holdover capacity because as you all know they (envoys) have to go through the Commission on Appointments, and Congress has not yet convened,” he clarified.

“In the interim, we would want them to stay because we have to have people who will deal with the host countries, and it may not be practical at this point to replace them,” Mr. Aquino said, adding that he will not go beyond what is allowed under the law.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, interviewed after the Red Mass for government officials at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, clarified that it was not a reappointment, just a “holdover capacity because we don’t want to disrupt diplomatic relations in those areas.”

“We are giving them time to wind up their affairs. It’s a holdover capacity because they have to continue. Of course it’s legal,” Ochoa, a lawyer by profession, emphasized to reporters.

To avoid a vacuum in the diplomatic service, the President was forced to extend for three more months the terms of 21 non-career ambassadors who were appointed by former president Arroyo.

Ochoa said he and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo have “recommended and agreed” to retain and to “extend the tour of duty in holdover capacity of non-career ambassadors” until Sept. 30.

“Everybody stays until they are replaced or until the agreed period, whichever comes first. We are referring to political appointees – because there are career ambassadors – we are talking about 21 ambassadors,” he said.

“We don’t want to disrupt diplomatic relations with the other countries. There are many pending transactions, pending concerns that need to be addressed and should not be disrupted by simply recalling them,” Ochoa said.

Among those whose terms have been extended were former Foreign secretary Domingo Siazon (Japan), ambassadors Francisco Benedicto (China), Antonio Manuel Lagdameo (UK), Mercedes Tuason (Holy See), Vidal Querol (Indonesia);

Noe Wong (Cambodia), Ramoncito Marino (Palau), Jose Brillantes (Canada), Ana Ines-Ugarte (Spain), Antonio Villamor (Saudi Arabia), Francisco Ortigas (Mexico), Ma. Consuelo Puyat-Reyes (Chile), Rigoberto Tiglao (Greece), Manuel Teehankee (Geneva WTO);

Delia Albert (Germany), Regina Irene Sarmiento (Czech Republic), Cardozo Luna (the Netherlands), Ernesto de Leon (Australia), Bienvenido Tejano (New Zealand), Shirley Ho-Vicario (Papua New Guinea), and Orlando Mercado (Jakarta).

The STAR reported earlier that only seven out of the 25 political ambassadors have complied with the recall order and have returned to the country, with the others still clinging to their posts.

Romulo said only former ambassadors Generoso Senga (Iran), Alejandro del Rosario (Poland), Masaranga Umpa (Nigeria) and Alexander Yano (Brunei) have returned to the country.

Also back are former ambassadors Tiglao, Villamor and Siazon who were seen at the home office. – With Pia Lee-Brago