These past years while Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo, the career foreign service officers kept quiet about his boo-boos because one can’t separate him from the department and from the government. His embarrassing foul-ups were also their embarrassment.
In regional meeting, reporters covering the events wondered why the Philippines is represented by senior officials in morning ministerial meetings. It’s basic courtesy to other ministers that a country sends someone of the same rank in those meetings. But Romulo, even if he is in that event, wakes up late in the morning, he skips morning meetings.
A DFA source also said that the Philippines conducts few side bilateral meetings during Asean and APEC meetings because Romulo does not make himself available. “No foreign minister would agree to have a bilateral with a Philippine senior official,” said a foreign official, who asked not to be named for obvious reason. But for those trips, Romulo collects expensive per diem.
The foreign officials would try to cover up for their secretary but with reports that President-elect Benigno Aquino III would retain Romulo, they want to expose him for what he really is.
They submitted a white paper on the numerous bloopers of Romulo.
The white paper underscored that the foreign secretary is “is ignorant of foreign policy issues. “ Only in the Philipines.
According to the white paper, in regional and international conferences Romulo attends and the bilateral meetings he holds with his counterpart ministers of foreign affairs, he is most unprepared, focuses on the mundane and does not represent the Philippines in a positive way.
One time, the paper related, “At unofficial meetings, he has dragged down the level of discourse by asking how many tigers there are in Sri Lanka, if elephants are still walking around, or how high certain mountains are.”
The paper also said,”Romulo’s high level of incompetence and the many mistakes he has committed in his conduct of foreign policy are all too well known. Indeed, Romulo is to blame for the downgrade the Philippines has suffered in ASEAN, a group in which the Philippines used to command respect. He is frequently derided by his counterpart foreign ministers who nudge him out of his illiterate stupor by urging him to ‘speak up, Alberto’. His lack of knowledge has also become a point of ridicule for his ASEAN counterparts who constantly tell him to ‘read, Alberto, read’.
“At meetings, Romulo is usually caught flatfooted and inattentive – while his counterparts would have already progressed onto agenda item twelve, he would still be fumbling at agenda (item) five. In one instance, he was not present for the start of a meeting because he was still lined up for a photo opportunity with US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice – a testament to what his priorities are.
“The embarrassment seems to have become unbearable for Romulo who has ceased to attend meetings, ostensibly because of the low regard in which he is held by his colleagues. But that has not prevented him from exploiting the travel privileges that come with participation in these meetings. Indeed, he continues to travel to meetings using government money despite the fact that he skips attendance in them, preferring to assign his subordinate officials to attend in his stead. Philippine representation at these meetings suffers as a consequence, for not being at the appropriate level.”
Should Aquino retain Romulo, expect more bloopers coming from the DFA.
Appointing incompetent and bakya Alberto Romulo as DFA Sec despite the bloopers in the white paper will be a big minus to Aquino’s rather good start.
Kahit sa Komolek tatanggihan sya, kolek lang ng kolek ng pera! Sabi siguro ni Berto: Kumukolekta ako ng per diem, hindi halatang nakaw. Si Gloria walang pinipirmahan kapag nagnanakaw!
Hindi start, showing pa lang.
Pero ang bilis ng DFA magbigay ng itinerary for foreign travels ni Aquino. Papasikat. Hindi ba nya alam na si Aquino mismo nagsabi na wala syang kating magtravel. Ayaw ba ni Binay sa DFA?
Pinipilit ni Berto na magbiyahe overseas si Noynoy kaagad para sya ang personal sekyu, plus may per diem pa. Hehehe.
That man has no principles…
That’s what we call appointing the incompetent, wrong and unqualified people to the wrong position as political patronage or payback. Yes, they bring out and get results; only it’s what to be expected from them – Ridicule, shame and embarassment for the whole country.
That is Gloria’s kakistocracy government.
manteca pala si Romulo…hirap gumising sa umaga…from his pang gulo to the many appinted by her…tunay na walang pincipio..walang delicadeza…walang hiya!
18 June 20101
As I have said before, isn’t that even career ambassador’s should be recall or called back in Manila, now that the president who signed their appointments as ambassadors is finishing his/her presidency?
there’s a couple of overstaying ambassadors in ASEAN, one is claiming that he was given extension by romulo himself, but the truth of the matter is that ambassador is lobbying for his/her extension.
That ambassador is creating havoc in that country were i believe the staff is divided. It is also known in that country that that ambassador is pretending to know everything and does not want to accept suggestions from the people that he don’t like.
As a matter of fact he is already communicating to a certain mr. villacorta who is a member of the inner circle of P-Noy for his extension or what.
On this matter, is it correct to say that all ambassadors from the “career” should be recall to Manila, as they represent the president who signed their being ambassador?
RA 7137 of the foreign service act should be amended to include the reassignment of career ambassadors to manila once their president is removed or has finished his/her tour of duty.
prans
si Davide ba hindi ipapatawag rin?…ang pagkaalala ko his appointment was never confirmed…by the Commision on Appointment..
Rose, si Davide at the last minute nag balimbing. Pumanig siya kay PNOY, sana kasama siya sa itatanggal ng presidente.
Teka muna, si Davide pala ay nag resign na as UN ambassador when he “jump ship” and joined the Nonoy campaign team.
Just read that Salonga strongly recommends Hilario Davide to DFA. Susmaryosep, kung hindi si Berto ay si Hilario! Huwag naman Noy….
Chi,
By Salonga, you must mean the former senator? He can’t be serious! I’ll be damned. Davide to DFA? What in the world is happening?
How can RP send a former chief just of the supreme court who was complicit in the violation of the Constitution? Whose standing in the RP is as good as the shit that comes out of his backside.
Mr Salonga must be joking.
Pres-elect Aquino had better think twice before even considering this crap of humanity for the DFA post. He doesn’t owe Davide anything. He should know in his heart of hearts that Davide is the greatest shit justice this country has ever known!
Senility must have gotten the better of Salonga.
In an earlier article, Ellen argued that Romulo cannot be retained because he was the face of Arroyo in international fora, defending her on issues of human rights violations, extra-judicial killings.
More so with Davide who was Arroyo’s ambassador to the United Nations. Just because he jumped ship when it was convenient absolves him the responsibility of installing Arroyo as unelected president and defending her in her impunity at the UN.
may AZ na ba si Salonga? gumagaya na ba siya kay siraulo? Lord have Mercy! I met Davide once sa UN at nakita niya ang pangalan ko (I use my maiden name)..tiningnan niya and I was waiting for him to ask kung magkamagank kami ni ET..I attended a conference on Women trafficking as a rep of TWMAEW…Third World Movement Against the Exploitation of Women.. hindi pa ba siya ay rerecall?
With all this fauxpas, I sure hope that P-NOY replaces him with someone from within the ranks.
From what I am reading on PNOY’s cabinet set up, I am getting disappointed already. Though it’s has to be made official, but from what I hear, X-Deals have already been made. Brokered by LP people.
Just to remind PNOY.
It is the people who made you the president, not the LP. People who elected you to the office, not the LP.
Please read Conrad De Quiros article and refresh your memory, on who supported you and who almost cost you the presidency.