A FORMER Senate president, a successful entrepreneur, and a respected career diplomat are included in Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr.’s short list to be posted as Philippine ambassador to Washington D.C.
An official from the Duterte administration has revealed before reporters the short list submitted by Yasay to President Rodrigo Duterte.
The short list contained the names of former Senate President Edgardo Angara, well known businessman Ricardo Delgado, and Foreign Undersecretary for Policy Enrique Manalo.
However, Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr., Duterte’s protocol officer, is not included in Yasay’s short list although he is one of the more prominent names being seriously considered to take over as the country’s top diplomat in the United States.
Angara, who served as Senate president from 1987 to 1998, was also appointed as Secretary of Agriculture during the Estrada administration from 1999 to 2001 and then elected as senator from 2001 to 2013.
Manalo, on the other hand, was retained as Foreign Affairs undersecretary for policy.
He is the son of former Philippine ambassador to Belgium, Sweden, and France, and Special Envoy of the Philippines to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights Rosario Manalo.
His mother was the first woman to pass the Philippine Foreign Service Officers’ Examinations in 1959.
The former Philippine ambassador to the Unite States Jose Cuisia Jr. has rejected Duterte’s offer to extend his posting in Washington, citing problems with Yasay.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez earlier confirmed the offer to Cuisia, quoting Duterte as telling the ambassador “not to pack your bags yet.”
Cuisia did not outrightly decline the offer but begged off and told the President that he will consult first with his wife and family.
But before he flew back to Washington, Cuisia admitted to the delegation that he has a problem with Yasay being the DFA chief.
“Yasay has a problem with ethics,” Cuisia said, citing his dealings with Yasay when the envoy was still the Philamlife insurance chief executive and Yasay was chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.