DFA still studying Yasay’s application for passport renewal

After his appointment as DFA Secretary was rejected by the Commission on Appointments for lying about his US citizenship, Perfecto Yasay Jr. applied for renewal of his Philippine passport before DFA assistant secretary Frank Cimafranca on Friday. He has a Philippine passport set to expire Dec. 3, 2018 despite having renounced his US citizenship only last year and was delisted from the list of US citizens only last month. He has not reacquired his Filipino citizenship. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is inclined to issue a new Philippine passport to its former secretary, Perfecto Yasay Jr., on the presumption of regularity that he is Filipino. The DFA, however, put the process on hold pending further study.

“We’re studying the case carefully,” Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, DFA spokesperson, said Saturday. “We just want to make sure that we handle it correctly.”

He was referring to Yasay’s Philippine passport renewal application.

On Friday, Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Frank Cimafranca said that Yasay has a “valid regular Philippine passport” that was issued in 2013 and remains valid until 2018.

“He is applying for the renewal of the said passport,” Cimafranca said in a text message responding to a query on the visit of the former DFA secretary at the consular service office a day after Undersecretary for Policy Enrique Manalo was tapped to replace him in an acting capacity.

“In the absence of clear determination from a court of competent jurisdiction that Mr. Yasay is not a Filipino, he has in his favor the presumption of regularity with respect to the issuance of said passport,” Cimafranca said.

The Commission on Appointments scrapped Yasay’s appointment as foreign affairs secretary for allegedly lying to the congressional body about his citizenship.

Yasay, on the other hand, maintained that he never lied and attributed the issue to his political detractors. He also made it clear that he had already relinquished his American citizenship.

On Thursday, Manalo was tapped as Yasay’s replacement in an acting capacity. Manalo is a seasoned career diplomat and was ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2011 to 2016 before he was tapped to be undersecretary for policy, at the forefront of addressing critical issues on foreign affairs.

Manalo’s career in the Philippine foreign service spans almost four decades, starting in 1979 when he joined the DFA.

Apart from serving as ambassador to the United Kingdom, he was non-resident ambassador to Ireland, Belgium, and Luxembourg. He was also head of the mission to the European Union and was permanent representative to the United Nations. /atm