Ex-envoy to Iraq now assigned in Syria

MANILA, Philippines - A former Philippine ambassador to Iraq experienced in Middle East crises and repatriation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) has replaced the country’s top diplomat in Syria.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced yesterday that DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs executive director Ricardo Endaya, who was also ambassador to Kuwait, was named charge d’affaires of the Philippine embassy in Damascus, replacing Ambassador Wilfredo Cuyugan.

Cuyugan, a career ambassador, was allegedly recalled due to his lack of expertise in repatriation procedures and differences with the Home Office in the assessment of the security situation in Syria.

But the DFA said no politics was involved in the recall of Cuyugan.

“Because we are on a repatriation mode, Secretary Albert del Rosario has decided to replace Cuyugan with an operative and with extensive experience in repatriation,” said DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez.

Upon the instruction of Del Rosario, DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. went to Syria to assist the embassy in the implementation of its contingency plan and to implement measures for the Syria-wide Alert Level 3.