EDITORIAL - Marginalized

A career in the foreign service starts with one of the most grueling tests. Last year 899 people took the Foreign Service Officer Examination, which consisted of a qualifying test, oral and written exams and a psychological test. Last week the Department of Foreign Affairs announced that only 19 passed the examination. The passing rate was relatively good; it’s not uncommon for less than 10 out of hundreds of examinees to pass the FSO test.

When mere entry into a profession is so difficult, reaching the top brings special prestige, especially because the rise is as challenging as the entry. Career diplomats are constantly studying and learning new skills, including foreign languages. As in other professions, foreign service officers aspire for the top. In their career, this is the post of foreign minister, but the Cabinet post usually goes to a political appointee. A more attainable goal is an appointment as ambassador.

This cannot happen when the appointing power sees diplomatic posts as just another aspect of political patronage, with ambassadors’ posts used to reward loyalty or repay political debts. In recent years, career foreign service officers have seen their top posts awarded to individuals who have already reached the pinnacle of their original careers: retired military officers. Several retired military chiefs or deputy chiefs have been appointed by President Arroyo as ambassadors, depriving career foreign service officers of the chance to shine.

Career diplomats have to compete not only with retired military officers but also with other political appointees. At the start of this month the Union of Foreign Service Officers fired off a letter to President Arroyo, informing her that her numerous political appointments were margina-lizing the career foreign service corps. The letter was written amid reports that a political appointee had been chosen as the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

As of last Sept. 28, the country had 36 career and 29 non-career ambassadors. The President is close to breaching the statutory limit for political appointees set under Republic Act 7157 or the Foreign Service Act of 1991, according to the foreign service union. The President should heed the sentiments of career diplomats and find other ways of repaying political debts.