Honorable exit for Romulo on July 1

President-elect Benigno Aquino III’s appointment of Human Rights Commissioner Leila de Lima as justice secretary is an inspired choice.

Foreign Service officers are hoping and praying that it would be the same case for the secretary of foreign affairs. Romulo has been a disaster as foreign secretary the past six years and it would be a tragedy to let him stay even for a day once Gloria Arroyo is out of Malacañang.

By the nature of their work, diplomats do not engage in protest actions. They are supposedly the epitome of tact, discretion and subtlety. But concerned about persistent talks that the incompetent foreign secretary, Alberto Romulo, would be retained, the Union of Foreign Service Officers headed by Vicky Bataclan yesterday came out with an open letter to the president-elect telling him of their sentiments about Romulo.

The UNIFORS declared that they are one with the Filipino people who “took a major stride towards change and good government with your election and like the rest of the nation, we are committed to bringing the nation forward onto, in your words, ‘the straight path.’

They did not mince words saying there remains one major impediment to the Department’s forward movement and that is:”current Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo.”

The UNIFORS said, “Throughout the six years of the Government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Secretary Romulo was its main representative to the world and its principal defender.

“While he did come out to voice his support for the Aquino candidacy, he did not do the honorable move of resigning immediately from the Cabinet and instead came out with the confusing mixed message of ‘I am standing by the President(Arroyo) until the end of her term and beyond.’

“This was fence-sitting of the highest order. On June 1 he paid public and personal tribute to President Arroyo herself for her ‘outstanding performance as Chief Diplomat (responsible for) the Philippines’ standing in the world community’ at the last of eight inaugurations of the Office of Consular Affairs.

“At the Independence Day vin d’honneur on June 12, he was standing beside President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the First Gentleman welcoming the Diplomatic Corps, shifting to the other camp a few days later on June 17, at the Rockwell Tent in Makati City for the Aquino Thanksgiving Dinner.”

“From the time he professed loyalty to the Aquinos he has astutely shifted from one camp to the other showing that he is a master at navigating two rivers (“namamangka sa dalawang ilog”),” the UNIFORS said.

The UNIFORS also brought up the issue of age, an exasperating concern in Foreign Service and one of the reasons why it lacks the vibrancy needed in our international relations.

The UNIFORS said, “At age 77, Secretary Romulo is 12 years older than the age of 65, the age career diplomats are required to retire from the Department of Foreign Affairs. There is a reason for retiring at 65 since it is agreed that even when Foreign Service Officers have served long and well and have mastered the art and science of foreign policy-making, they may no longer be at their creative best past a certain age. It is also wise to allow younger and more energetic officials, whether drawn from the career foreign service or outside, to hold the reins of a premier institution of government.
“Secretary Romulo has been given the privilege of leading this Department for six years. Let him set the example of allowing younger blood to take over and present a fresh face of the Philippines to the world under a new Aquino leadership.”

The UNIFORS referred to the stories referred to in a white paper circulated in the diplomatic community. “There is nothing in the White Paper which is fiction, Mr. President-Elect… they can’t be simply waved aside by saying that they were made by a disgruntled few.”

There is no doubt about the widespread opposition in the DFA to the reappointment of Romulo as foreign secretary. “There is also the fear of reprisal silencing those who would like to take a more public stand,” UNIFORS said.

The Foreign Service officers said there is no dearth of qualified Filipinos for the position.“Secretary Romulo should be given an honorable exit like the rest of the Arroyo Cabinet members on the first day of July 2010,” they said.