STATEMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ON THE PHILIPPINE STAR ARTICLE ON THE SUPPOSED CALL FOR CAREER DIPLOMATS FOR THE RESIGNATION OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SECRETARY ALAN PETER S. CAYETANO

 

02 May 2018 - The Philippine Star today published a malicious news article claiming that career diplomats at the Department of Foreign Affairs want Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano to resign. The report was attributed to unnamed officials of the Department who supposedly drafted and sent a letter to Malacañang complaining about how the Secretary handled the situation in Kuwait.

 

Today’s Star article followed another news article by the same reporter, Pia Lee Brago, that appeared in the 1 May 2018 issue about the alleged shouting match in Malacañang last week between Secretary Cayetano and Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III. That shouting match never took place.

 

Today, Ms. Brago claimed a letter demanding Secretary Cayetano’s resignation purportedly coming from career officers was sent to Malacañang. The Office of the President has not seen such letter. 

 

It is unfortunate that the Star published unverified information from an anonymous source. It is lamentable that Ms. Brago did not double-check the authenticity of the information that was provided to her nor even attempt to get the side of the Department. 

 

If she asked other career officers, Ms. Brago would have been told that the Union of Foreign Service Officers (UNIFORS), which is the Organization representing the career corps, has been inactive and that any position, statement or letter from the group would have to be circulated to the membership and signed by its leadership. 

 

The alleged clamor by career officials for the Secretary to resign as contained in the supposed letter came from some who do not represent the views of the entire career Foreign Service Corps.

 

Career officials remain committed to the highest standard of professionalism and patriotism. Under the guidance of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, the career foreign service corps can be counted upon to pursue the President’s vision of an independent foreign policy. END