Recall nonperforming envoys
Agence France Presse (AFP) has reported that a Filipino woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison by a Kuwaiti court which found her guilty of joining the Islamic State jihadist group and plotting terror attacks.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is still verifying the report.
Why is the DFA in the dark about the conviction of one of our compatriots?
Why hasn’t the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait reported the arrest, trial and conviction of the Filipino woman?
Our ambassador to Kuwait, Waleed Ahmad Al-Kandari, should be sacked for sleeping on the job.
From where I sit, it seems that most Philippine ambassadors who are Muslims are nonperforming.
It’s as if they look only after the interests of Filipino workers in the Middle East who are fellow Muslims, forgetting that they are mandated to serve all OFWs regardless of their religious affiliation.
Ambassadors and diplomatic officials to the Middle East who are Muslims should be recalled and replaced.
The Middle East should not be made their exclusive domain.
Many years ago, the Philippines sent a Muslim to a Middle East country as its ambassador.
However, he abused his diplomatic status by smuggling liquor, a banned item, into his host country and selling it to Filipino workers there.
The envoy embarrassed the Philippines when the host country discovered his scam after some Filipino workers were caught in possession of liquor.
Former Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong is facing graft charges over the alleged misuse of P3.8 million worth of pork barrel funds in 2012.
The Office of the Ombudsman ordered the filing of the charges against Datumanong, who served briefly as justice secretary during the administration of President Gloria Arroyo.
Datumanong should have known better than to illegally spend his pork barrel funds since he was a justice secretary.
President Digong has finally stepped into the controversy at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and put SBMA chair Martin Dino in his proper place.
The President appointed Wilma Eisma SBMA administrator, in effect telling Dino he should not arrogate to himself the position of administrator.
Dino earlier defied the orders of Executive Secretary Salvador “Bingbong” Medialdea to vacate the position of SBMA administrator.
Dino, who stood in for then Mayor Digong in filing a certificate of candidacy for President, apparently thought he was untouchable because he did the President a favor.
For a former barangay chief, Dino was not content being appointed to a sinecure. He got drunk on power and apparently wanted more.
Dino was too dense to take a leaf from the book of a Protestant pastor who was very close to the President until he took advantage of his friendship with Mano Digong.
The religious leader thought that because he lent Digong his helicopter and jet during the campaign period, he would be granted the privilege of seeing the President anytime he wanted.
But Digong, in the days right after his election, was so busy receiving other guests and could not accommodate his friend.
The religious leader, irked at what he perceived was a slight, went to the media and poured out his resentment.
By being arrogant, the pastor threw out the window a long and close friendship with the President.
