Sad ‘narrative’ of Phl affairs

The preparations done by President Duterte for the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit obviously paid off handsomely for him.

By and large, President Rodrigo Duterte passed with flying colors his first-ever hosting of an international event such as this year’s host country for the 30th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders’ Summit. Barely ten months into office, President Duterte demonstrated he could rise to occasion as a statesman.

Less than a year into his six-year term, President Duterte has met beforehand on one-on-one with each and every fellow ASEAN leaders. During the first few months into office last year, President Duterte made official visits in all nine ASEAN co-member states and met their respective leaders. It was an unprecedented feat compared to his five most recent predecessors at Malacanang Palace.

The 72-year old President embarked on these foreign travels because the Philippines is hosting this year’s official ASEAN activities marking its 50th foundation anniversary. This is aside from the fact President Duterte must embark first on ASEAN visits, being the newest elected head of state in this regional grouping.

In September last year, President Duterte made state visits one after the other to Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam. In October, he flew to Brunei Darussalam. Then in November, the President visited Malaysia and Thailand. He made state visits to Cambodia and Singapore in December. Last month, he made a state visit to Myanmar.

President Duterte made a second short visit to Bangkok in March this year to pay his last respects to the late Thai King Bhumipol Adulyadej. Outside the ASEAN member states, President Duterte has already made a state visit to China in October last year.

The President credits much of his personal preparations to ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr., who headed the ASEAN National Organizing Committee (NOC). As head of the ASEAN-NOC, Paynor was the baton-master that put together more than 21 government agencies to handle this event being held in our country this year.

Paynor’s wide experience in handling international events earned him high respects and regard that President Duterte initially appointed him last year as Philippine ambassador to Washington. But to prepare for the holding of the scheduled 2017 ASEAN Leaders’ Summit prompted President Duterte to reconsider the greater need for the expertise and capable leadership of Paynor for these tasks here in the Philippines.

It was also Paynor who headed the national organizing committee that handled the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit held in Manila in November 2015. All 20 heads of member-economies, including former US President Barack Obama, flew here to participate in the APEC summit hosted by the Philippines.

Thus, having to deal with much smaller number of heads of governments of the ten-member states of the ASEAN was like a walk in the park for Paynor.

Traditionally, one of the glorified tasks of the country’s Vice President is to welcome state guests in red carpet reception rites at the airport. Breaking from traditions and protocols, Vice President Leni Robredo was conveniently ignored in these ceremonial tasks from the just concluded ASEAN summit.

As the country’s second highest elected official, VP Robredo was not given any role at all during the twoday ASEAN Leaders’ Summit by the Office of Protocol at Malacanang Palace. VP Robredo was also not invited to the gala dinner hosted by President Duterte last Saturday at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City.

The Vice President participated though as one of the speakers in the private sector-initiated “Prosperity for All Summit” at the City of Dreams in Parañaque City last Thursday. She joined former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Inquiries made with ASEAN-NOC confirmed the Vice President was not given any assignment but the tasks of receiving the heads of states attending the Summit were farmed out to Cabinet members.

It was Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III who welcomed Brunei’s Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah when the latter arrived at the NAIA on Wednesday night for a state visit prior to the ASEAN summit. Also here on preASEAN summit state visit was Indonesian President Joko Widodo who arrived last Thursday. He was welcomed in the ramp honors at NAIA by Agriculture Secretary Manuel Pinol as Cabinet-in-attendance.

Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana was assigned to Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chano-cha was escorted by Department of Public Works and Highways Sec. Mark Villar. Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen was welcomed by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.

The lone female among the ASEAN heads of states, Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi was assigned to Department of Health Sec.Paulyn Ubial. Even left-leaning Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano got to be designated as Cabinet-in-attendance to Laos Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoluith.

Not that VP Robredo frets about it being sidelined during the ASEAN summit nor was she publicly complaining about it. Understandably, it was the natural consequence of her choice when she resigned from the Duterte Cabinet. Barely six months into office, VP Robredo resigned last December from her Cabinet post as chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.

In apparent attempt to mend their estranged relations, President Duterte has a standing invitation to VP Robredo and her children to have dinner with his family. As of this writing though, there is still no schedule yet for this dinner get-together while both face impeachment threats when the 17th Congress resume its sessions starting tomorrow.

The preparations done by President Duterte for the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit obviously paid off handsomely for him. He stuck to his prepared speeches, no cussing and he was in best behavior in public before his ASEAN audience.

Thus, no amount of obvious public shaming on him by his worst enemies distracted President Duterte from performing his tasks at hand while he steered the meetings with his fellow ASEAN leaders.

Unfortunately, our country’s affairs of the state have this sad “narrative” that President Duterte talked about in his keynote address last Friday at the ASEAN.