Funny. Tiglao said he is on leave. How can he be on leave when his appointment by Gloria Arroyo expired on June 31, 2010. PNoy was fooled by Romulo to extend services of Arroyo’s 21 political ambassadors including Tiglao up to Sept. 30, 2010. The Union of Foreign Service Officers said the extension was illegal because a non-existent appointment can’t be extended.
While most of the 21 political ambassadors of Arroyo have finally returned Sept. 30, Tiglao remains in Athens, continuing to occupy the ambassador’s residence. What his legal personality in Greece now? I am told Romulo is lobbying with Malacañang to extend services of Tiglao, who is one of Gloria Arroyo’s most trusted men.
From GMA News online:
Overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Greece staged a protest in front of the Philippine Embassy in Athens Sunday to demand the removal of Ambassador Rigoberto Tiglao, whom they accused of dismal performance and a lavish lifestyle.
In a news release, Athens-based Filipino organization Kasapi Hellas urged President Benigno Aquino III not to re-appoint Tiglao, saying he has not done much to assist Filipinos in Greece.
“(Tiglao) has nothing to show in terms of performance after more than four years… (He) has overstayed his ‘tourist visa’ in Greece and must go home immediately,” the group said.
Reached by phone in Athens, Tiglao declined to comment on the allegations and demands of the protesters, saying he was on leave and the matter was “sensitive.”
In the brief telephone interview with GMANews.TV, Tiglao dismissed the protesters as a “small group” that had no permit to stage a picket in front of the Embassy.
The Department of Foreign Affairs also refused to comment on the protest against Tiglao.
A political appointee of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whose term ended last June 30, Tiglao managed to hold on to his post after President Aquino extended the terms of ambassadors for three months or at least until September 30.
In their statement, Kasapi-Hellas said, “Filipinos are strongly concerned that, despite the lapse of extension of three months for political appointees, Mr. Tiglao is exerting his influence within the Aquino administration for his re-appointment as ambassador to Greece.”
A former journalist, Tiglao has served as ambassador to Greece and Cyprus since 2005. Before his foreign posting, he served as Presidential Spokesperson, Press Secretary, Chief of Staff and head of the Presidential Management Staff of Mrs. Arroyo.
The protesters seeking Tiglao’s ouster accused him of renting a lavish house while Filipino migrants live in underground flats and earn only 700 euros a month due to the economic crisis in Greece.
“Among the five ambassadors posted in Greece, Tiglao, the 5th and the only political appointee, surpasses them all in terms of expensive style of living, a house complete with swimming pool in a posh village in the suburbs of Athens, whose monthly rental ranges from 5,000 to 10,000 euros ,” the group said.
Kasapi also claimed that Tiglao has been spotted touring the islands of Greece, while a Filipina who has been detained since March this year and 12 Filipino seafarers marooned inside their ships did not get a call or visit from the ambassador.
The picket ended after Charge d’Affaires Constancio Vingno talked to the group and promised to bring their demands to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo. – Jerrie Abella/YA, GMANews.TV
Whaaat? That blasted Gloria Arroyo apologist is still in place? Holy frigging cow! What is senilitic Romulo doing?
Incidentally, I’m Athens bound next week (for work) but thankfully don’t have to even look at nor remotely have to be anywhere near the ugly self of this dastardly Gloria apologist.
Ang putragis, nandyan pa yan?! So Berto is asking PNoy to appoint Tiglao for six years of amba post. Taragis, kapag yan ay ginawa ni Noynoy ay talagang wala syang balls to stand up against Berto, Gloria’s loyal lapdog! A, basta wala na lang balls kahit ano pa! Ang aga pa, puro shits na!
That Tiglao must go so are all other GMA appointees. Don’t forget Senga too.
And as long as Romulo remains as DFA Sec, many GMA appointees would be retained and protected. That is of course if President Noynoy listens to Romulo.
Andiyan na pala si Vingno, i-appoint nang ambassador yan. Na-freezer yan nung panahon ni Putot dahil bumoto silang mag-asawa ng “no” sa survey ng Malacañang (ano’ng survey nga yon?).
Magaling naman yan, siya ang tatay ng Southrail Project with the Koreans na napakaganda ng terms kaya siguro pinalitan ni Putot ang kontrata at naging CNMEC ng China dahil walang tongpats.
As to Tiglao, gulpihin na lang yan kung ayaw umalis. Sabihin na lang napagkamalang magnanakaw. Di siya bagay tumira sa villa.
“As to Tiglao, gulpihin na lang yan kung ayaw umalis. Sabihin na lang napagkamalang magnanakaw. Di siya bagay tumira sa villa.”
Ako una sa pila-gulpihan ulit! 🙂
Chi, hahahahah! Who would have thought that you were a maton!
First in line sa pee on Puno and then now first also in the gulpihan pila. 🙂
Tiglao was merely on rest and recreation during his whole stay in Athens; he should be removed immediately.
But on the other hand, it’s strange that the career officers of the DFA are vehemently against political appointees. They simply want to keep the horsetrading among themselves.
It’s not true that all political appointees are bad for the foreign service, if only because not all career officers are good despite passing the FSO exams (some of them did not, by the way; many are still masquerading as career officers). Most of the career officers are good, but there are also many who are lazy and mediocre, and see a foreign posting as a dollar paradise, living their life as slightly-exalted OFWs.
The important thing is for the President to find truly qualified people for a few posts, and backed by career officers, they can inject dynamism into that country’s relations with the Philippines.
Despite the words “extra-ordinary and plenipotentiary” after the title of “Ambassador”, almost all career ambassadors actually wield little influence, whereas political appointees (traditionally, anyway) have the ears of the President and other powerful political figures in society. That is the reality.
Foreign Service Officials are not just slightly exalted OFWs. There are many privileges that come with it like diplomatic immunity. Once you are appointed as Ambassador even for just a few months, you’re addressed as Mr. Ambassador everywhere you go. Those with strong connections at Malacanang get to be appointed as Special Envoys even if they do nothing. That practice was rampant during the Arroyo government. But I heard appointing Special Envoy has now stopped.