BEIJING
MANILA, NOVEMBER 25, 2011 (MALAYA) ('President
Aquino should not entertain any second thought about sacrificing family
friendship to the demands of national interest.')
AN Aquino family friend has been nominated as ambassador to Beijing, but it
appears that the qualification of the nominee, Domingo Lee, starts and ends at
his being a friend of President Aquino's family.
Lee sports the title of ambassador, earning the distinction for serving as a
roving envoy of President Corazon Aquino and head of the Manila Economic
Cooperation Office, the de facto embassy to Taipei.
But in his confirmation hearing at the Commission on Appointments, Sen.
Sergio Osmeña strongly urged that Lee's nomination be withdrawn to prevent a
disastrous relation with Beijing because of his "incompetence."
Osmeña said he advised Lee when the latter paid a call on him a month ago to
study about China and about diplomacy in preparation for his appearance before
the CA.
He said Lee, who failed to answer his questions during the hearing is
"absolutely not qualified."
"He's not even qualified to become a consul," said Osmeña.
Osmeña said Lee failed even to enumerate the "three pillars" of Philippine
diplomacy which have been in place since the time of Foreign Secretary Alberto
Romulo. (The "pillars" are national security, economic security and protection
of overseas Filipinos.).
Osmeña said he has no doubt of Lee's loyalty, being a friend of the Aquino
family, but said national interest should take precedence over personal
friendship.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda brushed aside Osmeña's reservations,
saying "I think we have received no objections on the part of the People's
Republic of China."
Which completely misses the whole point. Sure, Lee's nomination has secured
the agrement of Beijing. A receiving party may refuse to accept a nominee for
whatever reasons, baseless or insignificant, but being incompetent is usually
not one of them.
Lacierda probably was alluding to reports that Lee was a vice president of
Taiwan-based Koumintang and, hence, might be considered politically undesirable
by the Communist Party of China. There are, however, as many Koumintang vice
presidents as Rotary vice presidents, so Lee's position might actually be
honorific rather than of substance.
It also so happens that the Communists and the Koumintangs are again warming
to each other (so what else is new in the 70-year history of alliances and
internecine wars between the two?). Beijing's worry is Taiwan-grown parties who
do not hide their long-term program of declaring Taiwan as an independent
country.
But then again, that's neither here nor there. Lee is going to Beijing as the
head of the Philippine mission, not as a representative of the Koumintang. If
Lee does not have the brains, the training and the experience needed for a
critical posting like China, President Aquino should not entertain any second
thought about sacrificing family friendship to the demands of national
interest.
MALAYA COLUMN: EELLEN
TORDESILLAS
The danger that Domingo Lee poses to national interest
BY Ellen Tordesillas
('Apart from agreeing to receive a diplomatic representative, the
receiving country has no say on the criteria in choosing ambassadors.')
[PHOTO - DOMINGO LEE]
SEN. Serge Osmeña III was so embarrassed by Domingo Lee's ignorance about
diplomacy that he appealed to President Aquino to withdraw his nomination as
ambassador to China.
But no, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, as reported by Philippine
Star, said President Aquino has no plans at the moment to replace Lee as his
nominee for the post of Philippine ambassador to China.
The reason, Lacierda said, was, "The government had not received objections
from China with regard to the appointment of Lee."
I'm glad that Lacierda also added, "We will leave it with the secretary of
Foreign Affairs to comment on the statement of Senator (Sergio) Osmeña" because
his statement waiting for an objection from China on the President's choice of
ambassador is worrisome.
Worrisome because it reflects Malacañang's low regard (I don't want to use
the word "ignorance") of the role foreign relations in governance .
Lacierda should be told that aside from issuing an agreement -- the approval
of a diplomatic representative by the state to which he is to be accredited --
the receiving country, in this case, China, has no say on our criteria in
choosing our ambassadors.
China, needless to say, thinks of its own national interest.
The Philippines has a conflicting territorial claim with China. Of course,
China will want an ambassador who would not push Philippine position on the West
Philippine Sea. Would that be good for Philippine interests?
Based on the two interviews he had with Lee in the CA, Osmeña said sending
the 77-year old Lee, who is a childhood friend of the President's father, Sen.
Benigno Aquino Jr., as ambassador to China would not work for the interest of
the country.
"I can't even quantify the danger to the Filipino people in case he gets
confirmed. I think in the interest of the Filipino people, President Aquino has
to withdraw (Lee's appointment)," he said
"Please naman, send a real diplomat. Friendship is not enough when you are in
the high level diplomacy. You follow the orders of your government and you
should know how to carry it out properly," said Osmeña, who is an ally of the
Aquino administration.
An Inquirer report by Maila Ager gives a glimpse of that embarrassing session
at the CA last Wednesday:
"During the hearing, Senator Sergio Osmeña peppered Lee with questions even
asking him to define the terms "diplomacy," "track one diplomacy," and "hard
power.
"You are in the field of diplomacy. Can you define what diplomacy is?" he
asked during the hearing of the Commission's committee on foreign affairs.
"Diplomacy is from time to time entails friendship…closer relationship with
countries that you expect to be assigned," said Lee.
"No sir, that's not diplomacy? Would you like to try again?" said Osmeña.
And when Lee failed to answer his question, the senator answered his own
question, saying that diplomacy is defined in Wikipedia as the art of practice
of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or estates.
"Yes, maybe the goal of diplomacy is always to maintain friendship but it's
the practice of negotiating," said Osmeña.
The senator proceeded and asked Lee to define what hard power is.
Lee answered, "A strong…" followed by a strong pause that prompted Osmeña to
say, "You're guessing now. Are you familiar with the term hard power?"
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who was presiding over the hearing, even
spelled the word "hard" for the ambassador.
"If I'm right hard power is a strong expression…" said Lee.
But Osmeña corrected the ambassador when he pointed out that hard power is
either the use of military force or economic sanctions in order to obtain one's
goals.
"So therefore, by that, you would now understand what is meant by the term
soft power?" Osmeña asked again.
"Yes your honor, soft power is not going to war," said Lee.
"But Osmeña was not satisfied again, saying the precise definition of soft
power is the use of nice things like economic aid, cultural ties, among others.
"This did not stop the senator, however, and started asking the definitions
of track one, track two and track three diplomacy.
"I have to admit I don't know the term," Lee said."
Another Inquirer report by Cathy Yamsuan said Lee was asked if he had been
part of any diplomatic mission to China and he replied he once acted as
interpreter for former president Joseph Estrada. "I was beside (Estrada) doing
interpretation. He needs me. I was telling him what to do."
I share Sen. Osmeña's fears.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
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