President Rodrigo Roa Duterte confers the Order of Sikatuna with the Rank of Datu on outgoing Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to the Philippines Archbishop Gabriele Caccia during his farewell call to the President at the Malacañan Palace on December 11, 2019. KING RODRIGUEZ/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Despite the love-hate relationship of President Rodrigo Duterte with the Church, the Chief Executive conferred Tuesday the Order of Sikatuna with the Rank of Datu to outgoing Papal Nuncio Archbishop Gabriele Caccia.
Duterte gave the award during the Papal Nuncio’s farewell call in Malacañang.
Archbishop Gabriele Caccia will now leave the Philippines after his appointment as the new permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations by Pope Francis.
“I don’t think I will find anywhere in the world people as friendly, as smiling, as open, as affectionate and so devoted as here in the Philippines,” the archbishop said.
“I look forward to helping the Holy See assist the United Nations is renewing its commitment to the pillars of its charter, preventing the scourge of war, defending human dignity and rights, promoting integral development, and fostering respect and implementation of international law and treaties,” he added.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte bids farewell to outgoing Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the Philippines Ly Quoc Tuan, who paid a farewell call to the President at the Malacañan Palace on December 11, 2019. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
Aside from the Papal Nuncio, Duterte also conferred the same award to outgoing Vietnamese Ambassador Ly Quoc Tuan.
According to the Official Gazette, the “Order of Sikatuna is an order of diplomatic merit conferred upon individuals who have rendered exceptional and meritorious services to the Republic of the Philippines; upon diplomats, officials, and nationals of foreign states who have rendered conspicuous service in fostering, developing, and strengthening relations between their country and the Philippines; or upon personnel of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), both in the home office and in the foreign service.”