Romualdez named special envoy to US

TOKYO – As part of a “rebooting” of relationship with the US, the Duterte administration is appointing Babe Romualdez as special envoy to the country’s long-time defense ally.

The appointment of The STAR columnist came as the US is preparing to choose its new leader in November and as it continues to try to make sense of Duterte’s attacks and foreign policy shift toward China and Russia.

Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. informed Romualdez of his appointment yesterday at the Imperial Tower Hotel in Tokyo, on the sidelines of Duterte’s three-day official visit.

“We are trying on how we can work with the changes… especially with the upcoming elections in the US so we will see how we can (establish)… let’s call it as rebooting our relationship with the US,” said a member of the President’s official delegation here.

“We’d like to communicate the message of how we will have a rebooting of our relationship,” the official, who declined to be named, added. “Yes, of course we will continue our relationship with the US.”

As special envoy, Romualdez’s “special mission” is to put back on track Philippine-US relations.

Romualdez confirmed the President’s offer, but declined to give details pending the President’s formal announcement. “I confirm it,” he said, adding he declined the post of ambassador.

“Sec. Yasay has briefed Mr. Romualdez on the things needed to address the relationship between the two countries,” the source pointed out. Romualdez’s chief role, the source said, is simply to keep the Philippines’ relationship with the US.

While on a visit to Manila early this week, State Department official Daniel Russel voiced his concern over the rising death toll in Duterte’s war on drugs.

The President has been raining expletives on critics of his vicious anti-drug campaign.

The President initially offered Romualdez the post of ambassador to Washington to replace Malacañang Protocol Officer and former ambassador Marciano Paynor.