Barring DFA officials from attending climate change forums abroad violates law — Salceda

MANILA, Philippines—Banning Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officials from attending climate change forums abroad is a violation of the law, a lawmaker said Tuesday.

Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda, who chairs the House Special Committee on Climate Change, issued the statement after Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. announced that he will ban “air travels to climate change forums” for DFA officials.

READ: Ban on air travel for climate change talks only for DFA officials — Locsin

“Can I remind you (of) Section 9 (K) of the Climate Change Commission (CCC) (Act). The powers and functions of the CCC? So you cannot do away with it. You’re violating the law,” Salceda said during a briefing by concerned government agencies on the status of negotiations and the state of play of Philippine positions on climate change.

Salceda was referring to Section 9 (K) of Republic Act 9729 or the law creating the CCC, which also mandates the commission to coordinate with the DFA in representing the Philippines in climate change negotiations.

“How do you interpret that provision of the law which should be superior to any of your statements. This is the law,” Salceda told DFA officials present in the meeting after they presented a statement clarifying Locsin’s order.

“This is incompatible with the legal obligations under the Philippine law, some of these statements,” Salceda added.

The veteran lawmaker also mentioned the special provision of the General Appropriations Act of 2019, mandating the DFA to “extend necessary technical, legal, and logistical support to the Climate Change Commission on the participation of the Philippine delegation in the climate negotiation processes pursuant to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and in other international fora on climate change.”

“Your budget was given to you because you are compelled to support this negotiation. There’s no ifs and buts there’s no as you please there,” Salceda said.

Locsin explained that his order follows President Rodrigo Duterte’s “displeasure with more climate talk instead of climate action.”

The DFA also clarified that “it will instead be represented by the Foreign Service Post which has jurisdiction over the venue of the conference or meeting, as long as DFA participation will not require any air travel.”

Salceda, however, raised doubts if officials from DFA posts were equipped to represent the Philippines in climate change talks.

“Kahit walang training? Paano niya makikita ‘yung foreign relations element noon?” Salceda asked.  (Editor: Mike U. Frialde)