Gloria taps Wong for China dispute

Rear Adm. Guillermo Wong will be temporarily named presidential consultant on the Philippines-China dispute over the various islets in the South China Sea after his retirement from the service next month.

A Malacañang official said yesterday the former Navy chief, whose father was a general in Sun Yat Sen’s army, will get his appointment before May when Vice President Teofisto Guingona visits China to resolve the territorial dispute with officials in Beijing.

"The position, which may be in a consultancy or advisory capacity, will be given until a permanent post will be given to him," the official said. "The President has not forgotten him."

Malacañang has reportedly advised Wong to submit his retirement papers eight months ahead of his mandatory retirement from the service in December.

After his retirement, Wong will reportedly be named chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority to replace Felicito Payumo, who is a carryover from the Estrada administration.

Camp Aguinaldo officials told The STAR that before his relief as Navy chief last March 1, Wong, who has Cantonese roots, was scheduled to visit China to enhance military ties between the Philippines and China.

"The thinking was that it was important that the two armed forces have good relations to prevent the Spratlys issue to worsen," the officials said.

Recently, the Navy boarded 10 Chinese trawlers in waters off Scarborough Shoal after their crewmen were caught poaching shells and meat of endangered giant clams.

After the incident, the Chinese government warned the Philippines against repeating the action of intercepting its fishing vessels in the area. – Paolo Romero