When you appoint an inexperienced, garrulous, publicity-conscious individual as the country’s top diplomat, blunders cannot be far behind.
Career officials at the Department of Foreign Affairs have supposedly written a letter to the President expressing their dissatisfaction with DFA Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano. They want him out of his post for weakening the DFA’s role, responsibility and accountability in foreign policy making and execution.
Out of delicadeza, a ranking DFA official said, Cayetano should resign.
The incident that prompted this call was the rescue of distressed Filipino workers in Kuwait, which was filmed and released to the media and through the social media page of Cayetano’s consultant.
Even the Palace’s assistant secretary for communications, a blogger with millions of followers, was part of the rescue that portrayed the DFA as superheroes out to rescue the workers against all odds.
There is no question that the government should help our nationals in problematic situations abroad. What was unacceptable in this case was the self-glorifying manner in which the rescue was carried out.
As a result, and despite our qualified apology, the Kuwaiti government expelled Ambassador Renato Villa and ordered the arrest of DFA officials involved in the raid.
At the DFA, especially, protocol exists to guide officials in performing their mandate and dealing with their counterparts. There has to be some order in the way things are done. Foreign affairs is a sober area—heroics and sound bytes have no place here.
President Duterte’s confidence in Cayetano may have stemmed from the latter’s loyalty during the campaign season. Sometimes, however, loyalty is not the best virtue to consider.
These are tricky times with regard to our foreign policy, and the Philippines must assert itself as a country to be taken seriously. Few have the right qualifications and qualities to take on the top post at Foreign Affairs. Fewer still can inspire confidence and respect.