DFA probes campaigning for Bongbong Marcos by wife of PH envoy to Saudi

Department of Foreign Affairs building. (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is now looking into the alleged campaigning for presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. by the wife of Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Adnan Alonto before the Filipino community there.

In a Viber message to reporters, DFA Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Cultural Diplomacy Gonar Musor said Alonto has been instructed to return to the Philippines for “home office consultations.”

“In the meantime the DFA is investigating the incident in Riyadh, and Ambassador Alonto has been instructed to return to the Philippines for home office consultations,” he said.

“The DFA regularly reminds personnel here and at Foreign Service Posts on the prohibition against engagement, whether directly or indirectly, in any electioneering or partisan political activity,” he added.

The DFA official said the department “does not condone acts that go against” the Omnibus Election Code, the Overseas Voting Act of 2013 and the Commission on Elections-Civil Service Commission Joint Circular No. 001, series of 2016.

Musor issued the statement when asked if the DFA is looking into a video on social media that shows Alonto’s wife supposedly campaigning for Marcos before the Filipino community in Saudi.

In the video, Alonto’s wife was wearing a red t-shirt with the initials of Marcos as she spoke to the crowd. Campaign posters for Marcos and his running mate Davao Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio were also seen in the background.

However, Alonto’s wife said she wasn’t urging the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia to vote for Marcos. She said she was just urging the Filipinos to cast their votes in the elections.

“Hindi po naman ako nagpunta dito para yakagin kayo na iboto niyo ang kandidato ko. Ang hihilingin ko lang sa inyo—hindi ko alam kung ilan sa inyo ang registered voters—hihilingin ko lang sa inyo na sana, please go out and cast your votes para hindi masayang,” she said.

(I did not go here to urge you to vote for my candidate. I don’t know how many of you are registered voters, but I am asking you to please go out and cast your votes so that it will not be wasted.)

“Hindi ko po hinihiling na isuporta niyo ‘yung kandidato ko kasi nasa sa inyo po iyon. That is your right to choose the candidates you’d like to vote for. Pero kung tatanungin niyo po ako kung sino ang iboboto ko, nandito po eh, nakasulat sa t-shirt ko. Eh kung gusto niyo akong samahan, nasa sa inyo po iyon,” she added.

(I am not asking that you support my candidate because that is up to you. That is your right to choose the candidates you’d like to vote for. But if you ask me who I will vote for, it’s written in my t-shirt. If you want to join me, that is up to you.)

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/MUF, je