MANILA, Philippines – The search for a new Philippine ambassador to China is on.
“We want to make sure that we have a good replacement for Ambassador Sonia Brady,” said Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda in a press briefing Wednesday, September 5.
NEW ENVOY. Sonia Brady, whom the President named as the Philippines’ new ambassador to China, meets with a Chinese government official during her previous posting in 2010. File photo from China’s Ministry of Commerce website
Lacierda said Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario has already submitted a list of possible replacements for Brady, who is seen to leave her post after suffering a stroke in August.
When asked if Brady’s replacement would likely come from within the career service, Lacierda said: “Well, Ambassador Sonia Brady was from within… My limitation is I’m not aware of the shortlist submitted by Secretary Del Rosario. So I wouldn’t be able to comment on whether it’s an outsider or an insider. It really depends on the shortlist submitted by Secretary Del Rosario.”
Brady served as the Philippines’ ambassador to China from 2006 to 2010, and in various other capacities for the past 4 decades.
In the meantime, Lacierda said, Philippine charge d’affaires to China Alex Chua is handling the embassy’s day-to-day operations. “He’s been there for some time so he’s fully aware of the concerns and the problems and issues governing our Filipino compatriots in China,” Lacierda said.
President Benigno Aquino III is also expected to discuss the South China Sea disputes with China’s president, Hu Jintao, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ summit in Russia. Lacierda, however, said he defers to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs for further information on the matter.
Talks on these disputes recently resurfaced amid US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Southeast Asia and China. Clinton on Wednesday pushed for the code of conduct in the South China Sea. – Rappler.com
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