STAYS
MANILA, NOVEMBER 25, 2011 (NOYPI.PH) By Jhoanna Mae
Pareja (photo: www.pinoygigs.com) Domingo Lee Appointed Envoy to China: Diplomats Asked, "Why Him?"
President Benigno Aquino appointed unknown envoy to become Ambassador to
China. President Benigno Aquino appointed unknown envoy to become Ambassador to
China.
President Aquino appointed Domingo Lee to be ambassador to China, but
diplomats have expressed doubts about it.
The two nations' (Philippines and China) continuous dispute claiming the oil
riches of the South China Sea heightens. President Aquino appointed Domingo Lee
as the envoy to Beijing, China. The appointment was confirmed by the Office of
the Executive Secretary despite the government's intention to bring the matters
about Chinese intrusions into Philippine territory to the United Nations.
Reports say, diplomats have reacted to the said appointment and began
questioning Lee's credibility and background. Lee's lack of Foreign Service
experience has likewise grown skepticisms on how Aquino appoints people to
represent the country.
Meanwhile, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte came in to the
President's rescue saying, Aquino has always assigned people that he knew was
capable and competent enough for the position. For every appointment, competence
and capability rank first in the basis of selection. On a radio interview over
dzRB, Valte said, "It would be more prudent to wait for the person to do his job
before making any judgment based on his capability rather than having a comment
just because we heard the name."
Domingo Lee is known to be a family friend of the Aquino's and speculations
have pointed out that the appointment might have something do to with it. When
asked if the President could have chosen a more experienced and competent one,
Valte said "We would not wish to question the President's judgment on this."
The Deputy Presidential Spokesperson incessantly reiterated that the
President has the supreme authority as to whom he thinks is capable and of good
fit to lead the embassy in Beijing and questioning this power is deemed not
fitting. She said, Aquino knows what he's doing. He's the one seeing the broader
spectrum of things and knows what's best for the country.
As for Domingo Lee, he has yet to prove his being appointed as Ambassador to
China. For now, giving him a chance will be the soundest thing to do.
FROM PHILSTAR
Envoy to China stays, for now - Palace By Aurea
Calica (The Philippine Star) Updated November 24, 2011 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang said yesterday it has no plans at the moment
to replace businessman Domingo Lee as the administration's nominee for the post
of Philippine ambassador to China.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the government had not received
objections from China with regard to the appointment of Lee.
"We will leave it with the secretary of Foreign Affairs to comment on
the statement of Senator (Sergio) Osmeña," (photo) Lacierda said.
Asked whether the Palace would help Lee get the confirmation of the
Commission on Appointments (CA), Lacierda said they have not been following up
on that.
"We'll leave it with the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs)," he said.
Osmeña said national interest should take precedence over personal friendship
and thus President Aquino should withdraw the appointment of Lee.
The senator from Cebu grilled Lee, focusing on his qualifications, during his
confirmation hearing at the CA.
In his second appearance before the CA, Lee was subjected to intense grilling
by Osmeña regarding matters of diplomacy and dispute in the Spratly Islands.
Even before yesterday's hearing, Osmeña had already indicated that he wanted
to test the fitness and competence of Lee as ambassador to China, which he
considered as the second most important country in the world today next to the
United States.
Incompetent
The senator questioned Lee on the three pillars of diplomacy, which to his
disappointment were not familiar to the nominee.
The three pillars of diplomacy – enhancing economic diplomacy, protecting
overseas Filipino workers and promoting national security – are considered basic
knowledge for every ambassador or foreign service officer and according to
Osmeña, for Lee not to know this was unacceptable.
"He's a businessman. He wants to be ambassador to Beijing. Because he's 77
years old and he wants it to be his crowning glory but I think he's going to do
it at the expense of the Filipino people," he said in an interview with
reporters after the hearing.
"I can see several pending disasters. That's going to happen if you put an
incompetent person like Domingo Lee as ambassador to Beijing and I am appealing
to the President to withdraw his nomination because it is not fair to the
Filipino people," he added.
Osmeña pointed out that he had already advised Lee two months ago when he
visited him that he would be asking him a lot of questions during his
confirmation hearing.
He said that based on the Lee's answers or lack thereof, it was clear that
the appointee did not take his advice seriously.
Lee admitted that he was not that qualified even though he served as honorary
ambassador to China during the administration of the President's mother, former
President Corazon Aquino.
However, he did not back down from Osmeña and attempted to defend himself
before the CA.
"I said I am not perfect and nobody's perfect," Lee said.
Osmeña was irked even more when he cited a news article from the Global
Times, supposedly China's main newspaper for international affairs and the
mouthpiece of the Communist Party there.
The article called for a war with the Philippines and Vietnam to assert
China's sovereignty over the Spratlys.
Lee was either very careful in addressing the issue or was not aware of the
article that Osmeña raised, which led to even more disparaging remarks aimed at
the nominee.
"I'll be scared to send you to Beijing because you don't know what's
happening," Osmeña said. "That's what I'm telling Malacañang. Send him to
Argentina or Italy and I won't object. But we are going to war with the second
most powerful nation in the world, their economy is already number two and their
military is about to become number two and then you're going to send somebody
like that?"
A matter of loyalty
Osmeña pointed out that Lee is close to the President and his family, having
proven his worth to Aquino's parents, particularly during the martial law years
of the Marcos administration.
"This guy was a very loyal friend of Ninoy. He was maybe one or two people
that insisted and was allowed to visit Ninoy while Ninoy was in jail for seven
years. I was in jail too for five years and I can appreciate the loyalty of
friends like that," he said.
However, he emphasized that friendship and loyalty alone should not make Lee
or any other person qualified for such a sensitive post as ambassador to China.
"He's absolutely not qualified. He's not even qualified to be consul. But I
am only one out of 25 in the Commission on Appointments and I have seen funny
things happen when the power of the Palace is used," Osmeña said.
Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, chair of the CA's committee on foreign
affairs, said she would allow Osmeña and every other member who wishes to
question Lee to continue until all issues against him are exhausted.
"As it is now, there is still a hope that he (Osmeña) might still change his
mind if the nominee perhaps does his homework, as he keeps on implying that the
nominee has not sufficiently undertaken background analysis of the China issue
in which we are involved," Santiago said.
"For as long as the nominee is physically fit, we have to continue these
sessions. The administration will simply have to wait for the patience of the
members of the committee," she added.
While Lee would have to wait for yet another hearing, the CA gave its nod to
five Foreign Service officers during yesterday's plenary session, namely Nestor
Padalhin as chief of mission, class 1; Marlowe Miranda, foreign service officer,
class 1; and Lenna Eilleen de Dios-Sison, Sharon Rivera and Robert Eric Borje as
foreign service officers, class 2. – Marvin Sy
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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