(File Photo)
MANILA, Philippines — The United States is expected to have a new ambassador to the Philippines before the May polls, Manila’s top diplomat in Washington said Thursday.
“I know that there will be an ambassador coming to the Philippines, hopefully, before the elections,” Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Romualdez said in an ANC interview.
He said he has already met with potential nominees for the post.
“There are quite a number of them who have wanted to go to the Philippines. I’ve met them,” Romualdez said.
“It’s supposed to be a super-secret thing until we agree to it. And secondly, the White House is the one that makes the announcement for the new ambassador,” he added.
At present, the U.S. Embassy in Manila is being headed by Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim Heather Variava.
Washington’s last ambassador to the Philippines was Sung Kim.
Kim served as U.S. ambassador to the Philippines from 2016 to 2020. He is currently Washington’s top diplomat in Indonesia and a special envoy for North Korea.