The government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), ordered the Philippine ambassador to Saudi Arabia Adnan Alonto to return to Manila after Alonto’s wife was “caught” endorsing former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
The DFA said Alonto was ordered to return to the Philippines for “home office consultations.”
The DFA reportedly issued the order after Alonto’s wife was seen in a viral video campaigning Marcos Jr. The video was posted on social media.
In the said video, Alonto’s wife, speaking in front of overseas Filipino workers (OWFs) in the kingdom, said “I did not come here to urge you to vote for my candidate (in Tagalog).”
The video showed the as she spoke to the OFWs, campaign posters of Marcos Jr. and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte were plastered on the background.
“Please cast your vote. Do not waste this moment because … it might just be the turning point so that we will have another Ilocano president,” she said, according to the recording.
The DFA in a statement over the weekend said it was “investigating the incident in Riyadh, and Ambassador Alonto has been instructed to return to the Philippines for home office consultations.”
The DFA further advise its personnel to avoid engaging in activities deemed to be partisan politics ahead of the May 9 elections.
“It does not condone acts that go against the Omnibus Election Code, the Overseas Voting Act of 2013 and the Comelec-CSC Joint Circular No. 001, series of 2016,” the DFA statement said.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) earlier warned that it would impose sanctions on government workers who engage in partisan political activities.
Those who will be found guilty of engaging directly or indirectly in partisan political activities will be meted with the penalty of one month and one day suspension to six months for the first offense; and dismissal from the service for the second offense, according to the CSC circular.
Under the 1987 Constitution, civil service employees are banned from directly or indirectly engaging “in any electioneering or partisan political campaign.”
An election lawyer on Sunday meanwhile urged lawmakers to pass a law prohibiting families of embassy officials from engaging in “electioneering”
In an interview with ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo, lawyer Emil Marañon said “Congress should address this, hopefully by extending the prohibition, on the ban on electioneering or partisan political activity to members of our embassies, both career and non-career.”
The lawyer made the suggestion after the DFA ordered Ambassador Alonto to return to the country.
A video posted on social media showed Alonto’s wife endorsing former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. before the Filipino community in Saudi.
Under the 1987 Constitution, civil service employees are banned from directly or indirectly engaging “in any electioneering or partisan political campaign.”
