Foreign Affairs – Page 39 – ellen tordesillas

An international embarrassment

Published by Ellen on November 5, 2009

Concerned about how Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo treated the president of the Union of Foreign Service Officers, Victoria Bataclan, foreign service corps, including non-career employees, want to send this letter to Gloria Arroyo.

“We, the concerned members of the Philippine Foreign Service Corps, are dismayed at the action of Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Alberto G. Romulo to relieve Ambassador Victoria Bataclan of her duties as Assistant Secretary for the Office of European Affairs.

“Ambassador Bataclan is one of the best and brightest of our senior career foreign service officers. We therefore view the action of the Secretary as a retaliation against her for voicing the concern of the career foreign service corps over the appointments of political ambassadors.

Trouble in the DFA

Published by Ellen on November 3, 2009

There’s a brewing tension in what is traditionally a sedate world of foreign service that threatens to blow into the face Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo.

Last Friday, Assistant Secretary Victoria Bataclan was told that she has been relieved as assistant secretary for European Affairs. No reason was given.

The Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Ed Malaya gave the lame excuse that just like the military foreign service personnel are given different assignments in the course of their careers.

Arroyo withdraws appointment of rep to UN Geneva; DFA union head loses post, too

Published by Ellen on November 2, 2009

by VERA Files President Arroyo has recalled the appointment of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. as Philippine representative to the United…

Obama offers condolences to Samoa and Indonesia

Published by Ellen on October 2, 2009

I’m just curious, why is the Philippines not included?

NHK TV website:

US President Barack Obama has offered his condolences to victims of the natural disasters in the Samoan Islands and Indonesia, saying the US will fully support rescue efforts in these areas.

Obama told reporters at the White House on Thursday that the United States will continue to provide full support to American Samoa, and extend any necessary help to Samoa as well. The areas in the south Pacific were devastated by tsunami after a major earthquake on Tuesday.

Obama also said he was deeply moved by the loss of life in Wednesday’s earthquake in Indonesia, where he had lived as a child. He said he has given orders for the US, as a friend of Indonesia, to extend its full support for Indonesia’s rescue and recovery efforts.

The US government though was one of the foreign governments which gave assistance to the victims of typhoon Ondoy.

Sheer opportunism

Published by Ellen on September 22, 2009

Update: Romulo wants to have his cake and eat it too.He says he will vote for Noynoy but will serve Gloria up to the “end and beyond.” Story in comments.

Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo’s disclosure that he will be supporting Sen. Noynoy Aquino for president is nothing but sheer opportunism unless he does something to stop Gloria Arroyo’s degradation of the foreign service.

Right now, he can oppose Arroyo’s midnight appointment of Foreign Undersecretary Esteban Conejos as ambassador the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva to replace Erlinda Basilio who will be retiring soon.

Arroyo has nine months left in her unelected presidency. As a political appointee, Esteban’s term is co-terminus with the appointing power. If he gets to assume the Geneva post in the next month or so, Esteban would only be serving for about seven months.

RP protests claims over Kalayaan islands before UN

Published by Ellen on August 14, 2009

by Tessa Jamandre Three months after three other countries formally submitted to the United Nations their claims over the disputed Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), the…

Ex-envoy to US confirms military rule plan

Published by Ellen on August 13, 2009

By Albert Del Rosario
Philippine Daily Inquirer

At the bishops-businessmen’s conference a few weeks ago, the possibilities of a declaration of emergency rule or an imposition of martial law were among the topics discussed.

In that regard, I am prepared to sadly confirm that our incumbent national leadership would indeed be capable of placing our democracy at great risk in pursuit of its survival.

The past week, our nation found itself deeply mourning the immeasurable loss of our beloved former President Corazon Aquino, who was responsible not only for ousting a dictator but also for restoring our democratic institutions.

Burma Court Finds Aung San Suu Kyi guilty

Published by Ellen on August 12, 2009

Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi was Tuesday ordered to stay under house arrest for 18 months.

by Andre Marshall/Bangkok
TIME

Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi will spend another 18 months as a prisoner of Burma’s military junta, a Rangoon court decreed today. She was found guilty of violating the terms of her house arrest after an American man called John Yettaw swam to her lakeside house in Rangoon in May. Yettaw, who has been in poor health, was sentenced to seven years in prison with hard labor.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate was initially jailed for three years with hard labor until a special order from junta chief General Than Shwe was read out in court commuting her sentence to 18 months under house arrest. The verdict has prompted further global outrage and renewed calls for stronger action against the dictatorship. Suu Kyi has already spent more than 13 of the past 20 years in jail or detention.

In Arroyo’s indecent regime: loyalty over substance

Published by Ellen on August 2, 2009

As we bid goodbye to President Cory Aquino, we reminisce her presidency with affection because that was the time when sincerity, honesty , and decency characterized all her decisions and actions.

Decency is one thing that we cannot say of the hustling among members of Gloria Arroyo’s men and women on who would be included in Arroyo’s official party in the meeting with US President Barack Obama last week.

The White House bilateral meetings was supposed to be five plus one for both sides. That means Arroyo and five cabinet members. Obama and five cabinet members on the others side.

Letter to President Obama

Published by Ellen on July 29, 2009

His Excellency President Barack Obama
Washington District of Columbia
United States of America

Dear Mr. President,

We shared the wonderful jubilation of the American people during your historic election triumph. When you assumed office early this year, we rejoiced at the audacious hope that you inspired, and on your promise of change for the common good.

We joined all freedom loving people of the world who exulted when you declared that “those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent…are on the wrong side of history.”

Category: Foreign Affairs