A true Romulo

Last Friday, Foreign Affairs Sec. Alberto G. Romulo was our guest speaker at the Manila Overseas Press Club’s (MOPC) Diplomatic Night. It was a full house with almost all the diplomats in attendance. Bert spoke eloquently about his vision. He made it clear that the country’s foreign policy should be guided by the Constitution, Philippine laws, and the country’s treaty obligations. He also said that our foreign policy direction is steered by the vision of the leadership. This is evident in the DFA’s three pillars of foreign policy, namely: the preservation and enhancement of our national security; the promotion and attainment of our economic security; and the protection of the rights and the welfare of Filipinos overseas. "We may not be a global power, but we are a global presence," Romulo aptly put it. Our OFWs can certainly rest assured because Bert has the compassion and sensitivity for the OFWs and the common man that the majority of our elitist DFA heads lacked.

During his speech at the MOPC, Bert inspiringly set the tone for how he intends to conduct and shape Philippine foreign policy. He said that he "expects and welcomes this rare opportunity and challenge to serve the Department charged with what a diplomat-statesman once called the ‘vast external realm’ with ‘alien knowledge’. These realities simply remind us that the era of living in ‘splendid isolation’ is forever gone. In every nook and corner of the globe, a Filipino is struggling to survive and make a living.Together, let us work hand in hand with the leaders and peoples around the globe that we might during our lifetime ‘tame the savagery of men and make gentle the life of this world.’ "

I only got to know Bert Romulo better these past two years and I have come to the conclusion that Bert Romulo is really a gentleman of the highest order. There is no doubt that he is a man of absolute integrity. It is very rare to find such a public servant nowadays. The way I see it, he really is a true Romulo. I have had the opportunity to know Gen. Carlos P. Romulo when he was the Secretary of Foreign Affairs during the Marcos years. As a young TV reporter, I had the chance to interact with the General on many occasions. The multi-faceted General was a journalist, soldier, educator, and the quintessential diplomat. It is no surprise that he was a man of great humor, who spoke with such bravado in public. Having been a journalist himself, General Romulo’s relationship with the press was phenomenal. What I most remember about him was his fantastic sense of humor. In fact, he shared a lot of jokes with the late Marc Ruiz, who was FM’s chief protocol officer. Marc himself was a man full of humor and wit just like his boss – CPR.

It is clear that the Diplomatic Corps holds Bert Romulo in high regard because of his diplomatic savvy. For this reason, the ambassadors of Great Britain, China and Japan welcomed his appointment because they see in him a "highly qualified person" who will improve their respective bilateral relations. At the moment, the biggest challenge for Secretary Romulo is to restore the special relationship we have enjoyed with the United States. Last Tuesday, US Charge d’ affaires Joe Mussomeli warned that further policy differences between the Philippines and the US may result in a relationship that is "slowly decaying and become one of benign indifference like that evident in the ’90s". As a matter of fact, Washington sources disclosed that top US officials were quoted to have said that the Philippines is a weak link because it is now evident that we have become undependable in the war against terrorism. This was reportedly said during a National Security meeting about the recent Jakarta bombing at the White House. Our Iraqi pullout gave some members of the Bush inner circle, who have never been real fans of the Philippines, the opportunity to tell Bush, "I told you so."

In response to a question regarding sanctions from the US, Bert realistically said, "I don’t see any real break or retaliatory acts. General MacArthur’s Pacific strategy of not bypassing the Philippines still holds true up to this day. They cannot afford not to with three million Filipino-Americans emerging as a political force in the US. They can tip the balance in any presidential elections." After Sec. Colin Powell congratulated him on his appointment, Bert told his counterpart that both countries can have candidness despite disagreements. "We shall remain friends and allies because in the war against terrorism, we need each other. This is a fight in which we must bond together," he reassured Powell. "Even the best marriages have hurts once in a while, but the marriage endures," he observed. Just like his famous uncle, there is no question Bert is well liked and respected by the Americans.

It will take a lot of work for both Bert Romulo and DND Sec. Nonong Cruz to repair this pervading Washington perception. As Nonong Cruz told us the other day, "We will need the Americans to modernize our military." Our obligations and military relations with the US cannot be neglected. Ninety percent of our military hardware come from the United States. US forces help train and reform our military. Let us not forget that the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) is more important for us than for them. Without the MDT, we would be stark naked in the face of any aggressor. Not to mention that the US is a valuable partner in the fight against terrorism. The US is also our number one partner both in trade and investment. Philippine trade with the US amounted to $15 billion in 2002 . As of Oct. 2003, bilateral trade stood at $12.2 billion. BSP figures revealed that by the end of 2002, US foreign direct investments reached $3.3 billion, one-fourth of the total Foreign Direct Investments.

Secretary Romulo opened his MOPC speech by pointing out, "We had a foreign relations failure in 1995 with Flor Contemplacion. We bounced back by saving the life of Angelo de la Cruz." With that statement, we are now certain that the country’s interests will be best served with Bert Romulo at the DFA helm. He is a decent man and a Diplomat-Gentleman of the highest order for indeed, he is a true Romulo who will bring honor back to his name.

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