On foreign and domesticated affairs
FRIENDS and colleagues at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) congregated at the Heritage last week to commemorate the life of one of our finest. Rodolfo Severino Jr. returned to his Creator on 19 April 2019; and every officer and foot soldier of DFA of my generation remembers this highly esteemed professional diplomat.
Former Ambassador Clem Montesa, as the then assistant secretary for American affairs, was privileged to work with Undersecretary Severino on the renegotiation of the Bases Agreement with the US. The US proposed the Campell papers as the working draft between a super power and host country Philippines. Rod masticated and wordsmith-ed the draft and, mirabile dictu, levelled it up, in form and in substance, to bring the agreement for our David to measure up to a US Goliath. It continues, despite the evolution over the years, as the basis for cooperation on our bases agreement and protocol on visiting forces.
Rod Severino is highly esteemed in the DFA for his industry and command of the English language. But he can also be tolerant and generous to a fault. He is known to have sportingly indulged one ambassador’s request not to touch the embassy’s draft of the speech for President Fidel V. Ramos (after receiving it together with the draft of the welcome remarks of the host head of state). After the exchanges of both leaders at the ceremony, Rod congratulated our envoy, saying that he had just orchestrated a “first symphony at diplomatic level!”
That was a supreme compliment coming from an opera buff. Severino was in complete harmony and he skipped part of the official functions of the visit in order to catch an opera in Vienna.
Severino hails from a school that held up role models like Fr. Horacio
dela Costa, SJ. (His son Howie is namesaked to Horatio). Severino was also a tenor at Fr. James B. Reuter’s original Glee Club. (He was recently Fly Highed by the remaining 10 of his original batch of Fr. Reuter’s Glee Club).
When President Fidel V. Ramos invited the then Ambassador Romulo to be his secretary of foreign affairs, the son of legendary Carlos P. Romulo couldn’t resist following in his father’s footsteps. He also had the nous to recall Severino as envoy to Kuala Lumpur to be his undersecretary for policy, a de facto No. 2 in the hierarchy. This proved Romulo clairvoyant and he would pay the supreme accolade: “Rod was my mentor. My worth as a diplomat, if any, was because of him.”
As a measure of recognition of their esteem, Romulo and his friends have decided to raise funds for a professorial chair in international diplomacy in Rod Severino Jr.’s honor, hopefully in Ateneo, his alma mater.
SECOND WIND. Severino left the DFA to assume his duties as the 10th ASEAN secretary general (1 Jan. 1998-31 Dec. 2002).
Those privileged to remember Rod Severino at last week’s encomium were Ambassador Romualdo Ong, a fellow Blue Eagle alumnus, former DFA Secretaries Delia Domingo Albert and Roberto R. Romulo. The First Lady of DFA Ma. Lourdes Barcelon Locsin was present while Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. was with President Rodrigo Duterte on official visit in Beijing. The acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ernesto Abella delivered the concluding message. Their recollections are attached [File 1: Howie Severino: Eulogy for my father. File 2: Message of ASFA Abella on Rodolfo Severino Jr.]
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At the same time, in another place, the spouse of Ambassador and former Undersecretary Lauro Baja, Norma Castro Baja, lay in state at Capilla dela Virgen of Santuario de San Antonio. Mrs. Lourdes Barcelon Locsin led the DFA family to pay their respects and to commiserate with the bereaved family. Why are the ladies of our diplomats raised on such high pedestals? Because they are the better half our envoys abroad, and these ladies have served for love of country without recompense or fair recognition.
CAVEAT. But considering the frequency and near plurality of the female gender passing the foreign service officers’ corps, we are nearing a time when we will have an amazon diplomatic corps. In such guise, we may see the day when First Gentlemen accompany our Lady Ambassadors.
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DOMESTIC AFFAIRS. The QC mayoralty race is like carera ng daga, with 10 candidates vying for office. Narrow that to a shortlist of three serious candidates – Josefina Belmonte, Vincent Crisologo, and Chuck Mathay.
The first three have name recall and the wherewithal.
The first named, Joy Belmonte, is now QC vice mayor who has served three terms. She also has the genes of her father, speaker of the House of Congress Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte (2001, and 2010-2016) and QC mayor (2001-2010).
Chuck Mathay, son of Ismael Mathay Jr. who served as mayor 19922001, also vies for office.
Vincent Crisologo is the outsider looking in.
All things considered, the fruit cannot be far from the tree. The lady has her own record as vice mayor and the legacy of a father who assumed a near bankrupt city to become one of the most beneficent. QC voters may elect a candidate with proven record and remembered provenance.