Congress seeks clarification of special Mideast envoy’s status

MANILA, Philippines—The committee on foreign affairs of the House of Representatives has asked for a clarification from the Department of Foreign Affairs on the diplomatic status of Special Envoy to the Middle East Roy Cimatu.

In questioning the legality of the position of Cimatu, a former chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the committee said that Cimatu might just be duplicating the role of ambassadors in countries where he was being sent.

President Aquino retained Cimatu in his position as special envoy to the Middle East, specifically Iraq and Egypt.

The question about Cimatu’s appointment came up during a recent committee hearing where the escalation of hostilities in Libya was discussed. There are about 25,000 Overseas Filipino Workers in Libya, 16,000 of them nurses.

During the hearing, Akbayan Party-list Representative Walden F. Bello said there was a need to clarify the status of Cimatu.

“We last heard he is being recalled from Egypt and Afghanistan. Who is replacing him to be on top of the situation in the Middle East?” asked Bello.

Cimatu is currently in the country, appearing before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee which is investigating corruption in the Armed Forces.

An emergency team headed by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis has been appointed to take over. “Nobody’s replacing Cimatu,” Bello said.

House committee chairman Rep. Al Francis DC Bichara (2nd District, Albay) said the ambassadors in the areas concerned should be the ones on top of the situation, not an ambassador-at-large.

“The ambassador is usually better-known in their areas of responsibility,” he said.

“If we send somebody who will just be ignored by the host country, better that we send an ambassador, who is more recognized,” Bichara added.

He said the committee will invite officials of the DFA to its hearing next week to determine Cimatu’s status as special envoy.

At the same time, Bichara questioned the DFA’s inclination to announce travel bans. He said announcing  travel or deployment bans merely gives black marketers better business by taking advantage of the situation.

He said the right to travel is guaranteed by the Constitution.

“The more we issue travel bans, the more customers these black marketers have. They smuggle citizens and there’s big money. We actually create a black market for human trafficking whenever we issue travel bans,” Bichara said.

“Even with the deployment ban, some people still find ways to go to these countries. We have to review our problems with travel bans or we would be creating more problems. It is like being caught between a rock and hard place,” he added.

Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez said he was filing a resolution calling on the executive branch to review the policy on travel bans.

“Travel bans and travel advisories merely give the DFA the license to exercise discretion that can be subject to abuse. The Bureau of Immigration is very discretionary,” Golez said.

“Filipinos are going to take risks if there is a corresponding adjustment in their pay, such as in the military, where there is combat pay. That is the person’s decision.”

Golez insisted that travel bans are judgmental and discriminatory.