Palace should appoint DFA chief now: analyst

MANILA, Philippines - Political analyst Edna Co said it is urgent that Malacañang already announce a new secretary at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in light of the numerous problems facing thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in countries experiencing upheavals.

Malacañang, however, said it could not do so for now.

In a text message to abs-cbnNEWS.com, Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said: “Whoever will be the new Foreign Affairs Secretary cannot be appointed until Congress comes to recess. Then and only then will there be an ad interim appointment.”

Co, who is also the dean of the UP College of Public Administration and Governance, said: “It will really be urgent that they will have a key person and appoint a secretary of DFA...para maiwasang umabot sa level ng crisis.”

Thousands of OFWs are caught amidst political crises in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Bahrain and Libya.

Deployment to Taiwan, on the other hand, may face possible backlash over a deportation row.

China, meanwhile, had only postponed the implementation of the death penalty on 3 Filipino drug couriers.

Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo recently took a leave from his post. On Wednesday, he hosted a lunch for former Ambassador to the United States Albert del Rosario, but there has been no turnover to his alleged successor.

According to Co, what the government is doing now are just stop-gap measures.

Malacañang had sent Vice President Jejomar Binay to China while former Senator Mar Roxas tried to explain the government’s position to Taiwan in deporting 14 Taiwanese to Beijing.

When asked if the current DFA is doing enough to protect the beleaguered OFWs, Co said there will always be insufficiencies in every system since there is no perfect set up.

“The important thing is, there is a point person or someone in charge, and I think yun ang missing point dito sa DFA," she said.

source: abs-cbn