4 September 2013 - As a result of the meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Commission on Appointments (CA) chaired by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago today, September 04, the CA granted consent to the nominations as Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (AEPs) of the following career officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs:
1. Hon. Maria Rowena Mendoza Sanchez, Chief of Mission, Class I, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Turkey with concurrent jurisdiction over Georgia and the Republic of Azerbaijan;
2. Hon. Cecilia B. Rebong, Chief of Mission, Class I, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland;
3. Hon. Victoriano M. Lecaros, Chief of Mission, Class I, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Czech Republic;
4. Hon. Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, Chief of Mission, Class I, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the French Republic with concurrent jurisdiction over the Principality of Monaco;
5. Hon. Jaime Victor B. Ledda, Chief of Mission, Class II, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of the Netherlands;
6. Hon. Narciso T. Castañeda, Chief of Mission, Class II, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Sultanate of Oman; and
7. Hon. Eduardo Martin R. Meñez, Chief of Mission, Class II, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Islamic Republic of Iran with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Also confirmed were the ad interim appointments for promotion and nominations of three (3) career officials, namely:
1. Hon. Catalino R. Dilem, Jr., as Chief of Mission, Class I, and as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Mexican States with concurrent jurisdiction over Belize, the Republic of Costa Rica, the Republic of El Salvador, the Republic of Guatemala, the Republic of Honduras, the Republic Nicaragua, the Republic of Panama, the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Cuba;
2. Hon. Vicente Vivencio T. Bandillo, as Chief of Mission, Class II, and as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh with concurrent jurisdiction over the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Maldives; and
3. Hon. Edsel P. Barba, as Chief of Mission, Class II, and as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Iraq.
The CA gave a nod to the expanded jurisdictions of six (6) AEPs in connection with the closure of 10 Foreign Service Posts last year:
1. Hon. Enrique A. Manalo, Chief of Mission, Class I, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and to include the Republic of Ireland;
2. Hon. George B. Reyes, Chief of Mission, Class I, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Mexican States with concurrent jurisdiction over Belize, the Republic of Costa Rica, the Republic of El Salvador, the Republic of Guatemala, the Republic of Honduras, the Republic Nicaragua, the Republic of Panama, and to include the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Cuba;
3. Hon. Bayani S. Mercado, Chief of Mission, Class I, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Norway with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Denmark and to include the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden;
4. Hon. Eleanor L. Jaucian, Chief of Mission, Class II, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Hungary with concurrent jurisdiction over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia and to include Romania, the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Moldova;
5. Hon. Patricia Ann V. Paez, Chief of Mission, Class II, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Poland and to include the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Lithuania; and
6. Hon. Jose L. Cuisia, Jr., Chief of Mission, Class II, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America with concurrent jurisdiction over the U.S. Virgin Islands, Grenada and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and to include the Republic of Trinidad and Tabago, the Commonwealth of Jamaica and the Republic of Haiti.
The ad interim appointments of Ambassador Ma. Cleofe R. Natividad as Chief of Mission, Class I and Consul Cynthia P. Pelayo as Foreign Service Officer, Class II were also confirmed in absentia. They are currently posted in Berlin and The Hague, respectively. END