New US ambassador to PH may be named in January 2021 – Romualdez

Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez. (INQUIRER FILE/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ)

MANILA, Philippines — A replacement for former US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim will probably be named in January next year, Manila’s top diplomat to Washington said.

“We’ve been monitoring. I don’t think there’s a nominee yet, I don’t think there will be one. Not until January. The Biden administration would probably appoint a career [diplomat],” Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.

Several media networks in the US earlier reported that Democrat Joe Biden, who served as vice president under the Obama administration , has captured the presidency, defeating incumbent President Donald Trump.

According to Romualdez, Trump had already nominated a replacement for Kim last year.

“As far as the US Ambassador to the Philippines, there was a nominee that was submitted last year to replace Ambassador Kim. However, that was put on hold and now obviously it’s not gonna happen anymore,” Romualdez said.

Kim started his tour of duty in Manila in 2016. He left his post as the US Ambassador to the Philippines last September to serve as Washington’s next top diplomat in Indonesia.

 gsg