June 24, 2006 · Posted in: Governance, In the News
Fil-Am community dismayed by ambassador’s ouster
THE Filipino-American community in Metro Washington, D.C. has written an open letter to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expressing its dismay and disappointment over the recent unceremonious dismissal of Albert del Rosario, Philippine ambassador to the United States.
The group said Del Rosario’s untimely removal came as a shock as it happened at the height of the celebration of the Filipino-American Centennial. It also acknowledged del Rosario’s “highly visible role in projecting a positive image of Filipinos in America and in nurturing the historic friendship between the U.S. and the Philippines.”
Arroyo announced del Rosario’s termination last June 13, saying that he had “asked to be allowed to return home and resume his life in the private sector after five very fruitful and meaningful years as the Philippine ambassador to the United States.”
But in her June 16 column at the Malaya, Ellen Tordesillas confirmed from her Palace sources that del Rosario was indeed fired after a tantrum-throwing Arroyo asked for his resignation a few weeks ago. Arroyo, she said, did not even bother to notify del Rosario about his termination.
Tordesillas traced the reasons for del Rosario’s removal to his rejection of the hiring of Venable LLP as another lobby group for the Philippine government, aside from the ones Malacañang maintains, including Burson Marsteller.
Arroyo, she said, also blamed del Rosario for the American conservative think-tank Heritage Foundation’s scathing criticism of her and the April 5 New York Times editorial that said Arroyo is “reviving bad memories of crony corruption, presidential vote-rigging and intimidation of critical journalists.”
What further incensed Arroyo, she added, was when del Rosario refused to tender his resignation upon learning of the circumstances for which it was asked.
Arroyo’s actions, the Fil-Am community said, only serve to heighten cynicism and mistrust “at a time when we are being asked to give your leadership the benefit of the doubt.”
Below is the full text of the letter of the Fil-Am community of Metro Washington, D.C. to Arroyo (A more scathing version, with the names of the signatories, can be acessed from Tordesillas’s blog.):
An Open Letter to Her Excellency,
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,
President of the Republic of the PhilippinesJune 21, 2006
Dear President Arroyo,
We are deeply saddened that Ambassador Albert del Rosario has been unceremoniously dismissed from his post as the official representative of the Philippine Government to the United States. The news of his untimely removal was particularly shocking to us, coming as it did at the height of our Filipino American Centennial Celebration. He has played a highly visible role in projecting a positive image of Filipinos in America and in nurturing the historic friendship between the U.S. and the Philippines.
But what is more dismaying is the unprincipled manner in which his exemplary service has been abruptly terminated. Common decency and respect require that a head of state treat her official representative with high professional standards befitting his stature. Ambassador del Rosario has certainly upheld those standards throughout his five years in Washington, D.C., even to the extent of defending your administration’s integrity in the face of withering criticism.
We are utterly disappointed that despite his loyalty and dedication you chose to treat him so shabbily. It’s simply beneath the dignity of your office, Madam President. How could you stoop so low as to not even give him the courtesy of a personal call informing him of your action. This is truly disheartening given the ambassador’s abiding faith in your administration’s mandate to represent the best interest of the Filipino people. Your actions fuel even more cynicism and mistrust at a time when we are being asked to give your leadership the benefit of the doubt.
Ambassador del Rosario has served his country in many extraordinary ways and we will always remember him with much affection and respect.
The Filipino American Community of Metro Washington, D.C.
3 Responses to Fil-Am community dismayed by ambassador’s ouster
Juan Makabayan
June 24th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
Aside from the media and militant killings and the desaperisidos, do we have a list of victims of summary dismissals andd forced resignations and those who resigned in protest but none the less suffer an aborted carreer?
Hyatt 10, Gudani, Balutan, de Leon, Gen Domingo(?), Gen D.Lim, Col Querubin, Bill Luz, Atty Luz Marcos (Omb), Dr. Grace Gorospe-Jamon, acting dean of the DAP’s Graduate School of Public and Development Management (GSPDM),
Ambassador del Rosario is not the first, he won’t be the last. If GMA stays as much as she wants to, with much help from her allies and others in government service who tolerate her, there will be a long list of casualties — of wasted lives and wrecked carreers.
aus_phil
June 25th, 2006 at 5:28 pm
Whatever the background of changing the RP’s ambassador to the US, I think 5 year stint as ambassador is too long! In the long history of public service, it is admitted that the Foreign Service of the Philippines is one of the best entities of government. However, there are numerous occassions that they are not effective instrument in portraying the image of the country, and at times even a disservice to the Filipino living in their hosts countries.
Take for example Singapore (and I hope PCIJ will investigate this). Our domestic helpers there only earns as a beginner around 350 to 400 Singaporean dollars. This is not much since they still have to spend for their personal needs. But anyway, this is not what this all about. Our poor kababayan, yes domestic helpers, the lowest among the “so called” heroes of our present times, are being short-changed by the Embassy staff in Singapore. Despite some of them are college graduates and knowledgeable enough to follow-up and fill up forms, they were told that they could not secure copies of their “contracts” and other documents unless they use “accredited agents”. How much they pay? A whooping amoung of at least 350 Singaporean dollars (or equal to a month’s wage of our poor DH). Either the Ambassador, or whoever are the next in ranks know this or would deny this is not the point, they are suppose to police their ranks and perhaps they are part of this inhuman scams. Most of our DH have at least high school diplomas and would easily understand what takes to fill up simple forms but still Embassy staff would still insist they use the so called “accredited agents” for their papers to be processed. The forms, as were described to me by a friend who is also a DH, were very simple. In short, the agents’ role is merely to hand the form to the Embassy staff for the to process and perhaps, you know what’s next.
How do we respect our foreign services staff in foreign land when they are the one who are squeezing the hard-earned money of our DH as in the example in Singapore. The complaint was verbally given to a noted Filipino community group but because as usual Filipino groups in foreign lands wanted to outsmart one another, they don’t want to bring bad news or disrepute to their hosts Embassy staff or ambassador eventhough their role is to protect the welfare of their “so called heroes or the DH”.
Why charge these so called heroes $350 for simple processing of their documents or contracts? Why force the DH to use the so called “accredited agents” when our DH are not that dumb people who could easily follow the filing of forms. For heaven’s sake, the acts of the Embassy staff in Singapore should be condemned in the highest order because this is not the type of service we want to give to our so called “heroes”. We are killing the “heroes” that lay the golden eggs. I wonder what is happening in Saudi Arabia, in other parts of the ME and coutnries where our DH work. They are not plain stupid people. They are our blood sisters and brothers who wanted to earn good and honest money and therefore it is ironic that our Embassy staff (with or without the knowledge of their Ambassadors) would try to squeeze them dry because of simple forms.
I waited for long to have a feedack and change at the Philippine Embassy in Singapore but the practice as I heard continues unabated.
I hope through this espose, the DFA will replace (I mean replace) who ever is the Ambassador there. They are hopeless public servant and I mean that.
Coffee With Amee » Blog Archive » Gaa to sub for del Rosario (in the meantime)
July 9th, 2006 at 4:40 pm
[…] Filipinos in Washington have already expressed their sentiments about how they felt dismayed by the ambassador’s shabby treatment. PCIJ reports based on a column by Ellen Tordesillas that he was fired after a tantrum-throwing incident by the president: Tordesillas traced the reasons for del Rosario’s removal to his rejection of the hiring of Venable LLP as another lobby group for the Philippine government, aside from the ones Malacañang maintains, including Burson Marsteller. Arroyo, she said, also blamed del Rosario for the American conservative think-tank Heritage Foundation’s scathing criticism of her and the April 5 New York Times editorial that said Arroyo is “reviving bad memories of crony corruption, presidential vote-rigging and intimidation of critical journalists.” […]