Cayetano: Many diplomats still don’t follow Duterte policy

Foreign Secretary Alan Cayetano admitted that many of the country’s career diplomats still had “a hard time” following President Rodrigo Duterte’s foreign policy.

A senator before he was appointed the country’s top diplomat a little over a year ago, Cayetano thanked officers and staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for being professionals.

“To those of you who embrace wholeheartedly the foreign policy of President Duterte, I thank you with all my heart. For those of you who have doubts but still follow, then I tell you that’s the spirit of being a professional,” he said after he ditched his prepared speech during the 120th DFA founding anniversary.

“I know a lot of you who have doubts and have a hard time following this [policy]. For those of you who continue to have doubts and refuse to follow, it’s not yet too late,” Cayetano said. —Dona Z. Pazzibugan