I refer to the column of former Ambassador Alejandro del Rosario on the 25 July 2016 issue of Manila Standard headlined “A tough role for FVR” wherein he wrote, in part: “What made Ramos change his mind to accept the special envoy job? Duterte had already tapped former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan when FVR seemed ambivalent about the offer. Alunan would have been just as good, if not better, than Ramos who is in his 80s. The former President himself said he might be a bit too old for the job.”
To be exact, FVR turned 88 last March 18 this year but to some people, that might be a little “bit too old for the job” as Mr. Del Rosario pointed out. But as one of those closest to the former Philippine president, having served as the family biographer of the illustrious Ramos, Valdez, Jara and Martinez clans in the last 15 years, age is just a number.
I can honestly say that PFVR who formally accepted last Saturday his eminent role as a special envoy to China is just the right person for the job and President Rodrigo Duterte made the right choice on the former Chief Executive.
Even former secretary of Interior and Local Government Rafael M. Alunan III who was President Duterte’s second choice should President Ramos decline the latter’s offer to serve as special envoy to China issued this statement on his FB wall: “The best Philippine envoy to China. Thank you FVR for your continued service to the country and dedication to world peace and sustainable development.” Raffy Alunan is our lead convenor of the West Philippine Sea Coalition and co-author of Silver Linings: 25 Years of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.
The former President said during the Kapihan, “I can do the job, but I’m also requesting parameters and guidelines from the President because that’s the way it is—you must give command guidance to your soldier if you want the mission to succeed. I want us to succeed so that I can report to him ‘mission accomplished’”.
Based on our conversations, his statements and body language on our three encounters, I was almost certain that FVR, being a good soldier, would accept his new mission from the new commander-in-chief.
There was also no dilly dallying or change of heart on the part of FVR.
President Ramos intimated to me that during the San Beda Alumni testimonial dinner, President Duterte offered the position as “special envoy to China informally” by announcing it in his speech despite being seated for more than an hour. That time there was no formal offer yet but he was later given the formal notice to meet with President Duterte in Davao on July 23.
Being a good soldier, FVR gets direct instructions from the Commander-in-Chief to set the parameters and goals paramount to national interests.
MELANDREW T. VELASCO