01 October 2009Her Excellency

GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

President of the Republic of the PhilippinesExcellency:I write to you on a matter of grave importance and utmost urgency foryour foreign service corps---the appointment of Mr. ESTEBAN CONEJOS, JR.as Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva.I have been requested to bring to your attention the collective plaint ofthe foreign service corps:

This appointment of Mr. Conejos not only brings the level of non-career ambassadors to its highest level in Philippine history, itplaces your Excellency in imminent breach of the statutory limit set by Section 17 of Republic Act No. 7157, otherwise known as theForeign Service Act of 1991. As of 28 September 2009, there are 29non-career ambassadors and 36 career ambassadors. Of the lattergroup, about eight (8) have ended their tour of duty (and are onshort-term extensions) or about to end their tour of duty withinsixty (60) days. Thus, if all these 8 career ambassadors return home,your Excellency will have breached the statutory limits evenwithout the appointment of Mr. Conejos.

This instant appointment will burden the Government with anadditional expenditure in the range of US$70,000 for an appointeewho will stay less than eight (8) months at post. Such kind ofexpenditure may be seen as grossly insensitive to the currentmood of channeling all available resources towards relief andrebuilding for the victims of Typhoon

Ondoy

The global trend buttresses the call for a higher ratio of careerambassador over non-career appointees. Even the US, which hasan embedded practice of appointing political ambassadors, hassignificantly reduced such appointments. Moreover, the highestratio of political appointees in the US system was 33% under the

Reagan Administration---a figure that is at least 25% lower than thecurrent ratio prevailing in the Philippines. Many countries---UK,France, Japan, Germany, Canada, Egypt, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, andIndia, to name a few---prefer the appointment of career diplomatsas ambassadors/high commissioners. UK and France areexemplary on this point as both countries have constantly adheredto a ratio of 95%.

There is no transparency in the appointment of non-careerambassadors. The career corps is deeply disappointed anddisheartened over the fact that it has not been informed norconsulted prior to the issuance of such appointments. In theinstant appointment of Mr. Conejos, dated 3 September 2009, thecorresponding document, which appears patently flawed on its faceand its process, was seen only about 3 weeks after said date.5.Finally, though not squarely attending the appointment of Mr.Conejos, the career corps also takes issue over the issuance ofappointments to persons beyond the age of 65. There are at leastfourteen (14) non-career ambassadors beyond 65 years old inviolation of both the letter and spirit of Section 23 of the ForeignService Act.

We have enough qualified, dedicated and energetic career chiefs ofmission. Every political appointment nips the life’s career of six ForeignService Officers. I am only one of them who had the honor of serving under yourleadership for the last eight years as Consul General in Hong Kong andAmbassador to Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Denmark,Norway and Iceland. I feel it is both my duty and responsibility to bring toyour immediate attention this matter. Equally important, my colleagues inthe foreign service hope that your term as President will have a legacy thatstrengthened the drive towards professionalizing the Foreign Service. Aconstitutionally mandated career service is a true pillar of a strong Republic.This was the legacy of your great father who authored the first PhilippineForeign Service Act. We trust it is yours too.Sincerely,

VICTORIA S. BATACLAN

PresidentUnion of Foreign Service Officers (Unifors)