Lawmaker worries about ‘under-the-saya’ envoys

A lawmaker asked the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Wednesday to ensure that Philippine diplomats who are married to foreigners are not being unduly influenced by their spouses in the discharge of their duties. Banat Partylist Rep. Salvador Britanico said he was worried that the foreign spouses might sway Philippine ambassadors into decisions that might only benefit the host country.

“The wife might have undue influence," Britanico said during the deliberations on DFA budget Wednesday, “Especially if the ambassador is USM, and I’m not talking about US Marines. USM means, under the saya ni misis (submissive to wives)." He then asked for a list of Filipino ambassadors who are currently serving their posts as well as the names and nationalities of their spouses. Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said there are currently three Filipino ambassadors who are married to foreigners: Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon Jr.; Ambassador to China Sonia Cataumber Brady; and Ambassador to Germany Delia Domingo Albert. Of the three, Siazon and Albert are serving in their spouses’ countries. Siazon is married to a Japanese, Kazuko, a former United Nations officer, while Albert has a German husband, Hans. Brady, whose Kiwi husband John Russell Brady already passed away, is not serving in New Zealand but in Beijing. Romulo defended the three diplomats as “highly competent" to take on the duties and responsibilities in their posts without outside influence. The DFA secretary asserted that the ambassadors in question have a mastery of their spouses’ and likewise, the host country’s native language and are well-equipped in their jobs. Siazon, now 70, has held various key posts, notably as director-general of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) from 1985 to 1993 and as DFA secretary from 1995 – 2001. A native of Aparri, Cagayan, he is fluent not just in English, Tagalog and Ilokano but also in French, Spanish, Japanese and German. Albert served also in various capacities in the DFA, including a brief stint as secretary from 2003-2004. Even then, Romulo promised to address the congressman’s concern. “(W)e’ll look into that," he said. - GMANews.TV