Aquino gov't scores another diplomatic gaffe: source

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) - On the heels of the Manila hostage crisis, the Aquino administration drew flak for announcing that a Philippine delegation was being sent to China and Hong Kong, without first consulting the other side.

Now, the President is again being criticized for canceling his scheduled trip to Vietnam and Indonesia this month.

Barely two weeks before he was scheduled to leave, President Aquino announced Tuesday he was cancelling his state visits to Vietnam and Indonesia.

The two-nation swing would have been his first foreign trip as president.

"Cancelled ang trips. The first one would be America... 'Yung Vietnam, there is also a summit scheduled on the same date. We have asked that if we can do what has to be done in Vietnam on one trip, rather than two trips," Aquino told reporters on Tuesday.

Aquino's decision was a break from tradition. From the time of Aquino's mother, the chief executive's first foreign visit was always with a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Cory Aquino visited Singapore and Indonesia. Fidel Ramos went to Brunei. Joseph Estrada went to Malaysia. And so did Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Aside from being an expression of solidarity with ASEAN, it was an opportunity for the new kid to introduce himself around the block.

Instead, Aquino chose to first visit the United States, where expects to meet with President Obama this month.

Officials, meanwhile, gave varying reasons as to why even the Indonesian trip was called off.

The President implied Jakarta was not ready to receive him on September 14 to 15.

"'Yung Indonesia, I understand, can accommodate us sometime in October," he said.

'Embarrassing'

But sources in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and in Malacañang separately told ABS-CBN News that the President cited "domestic concerns" as reason for cancelling the visits.

DFA sources also found it embarrassing that the President announced the cancellation even before he could formally inform the leaders of Vietnam and Indonesia.

Malacañang referred all queries to the DFA.

"I would have to ask the DFA, but I understand it's the role of the DFA to convey the decision of the President to the different nations," Lacierda said.

In a statement posted on its website on August 31, the DFA said the Vietnamese and Indonesian foreign ministries were given prior notice through a "note verbale."

“After prior notification to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Republic of Indonesia, the state visits of President Benigno S. Aquino III to Hanoi and Jakarta are deferred,” the DFA said.

“President Aquino looks forward to visiting both capitals at a more propitious and mutually convenient time, to discuss bilateral issues towards further enhancing Philippine relations with Vietnam and Indonesia, respectively,” the DFA added.

But the DFA source said a note verbale would not suffice. As a matter of courtesy, the President himself would have to inform his fellow leaders.

“Note verbale will not suffice. Advance lang yon. As president, he has to inform the two leaders as well. Courtesy yon,” said the ABS-CBN News source in a text message.

It was not immediately clear if Malacañang was planning to do such a thing.

Malaya: Vietnam, Indonesia notified prior to announcement

However, DFA spokesperson Ed Malaya said there was "prior notification and consultation" with their counterparts in Vietnam and Indonesia before Aquino made the announcement.

"When this was done, there was prior notification and consultation with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and also the Republic of Indonesia. So they had prior notice in fact about these new developments," he said in an interview on ANC's The World Tonight.

"It does not really matter in what form. What is important is [that] the notification is made in advance, and, in fact, it was made during the weekend, on the 28th of August," he said.

He added, however, that the notification is still being "formalized."

"In this modern day of diplomacy, one can make a quick phone call to another nation's capital and the word has already gotten through. However, as may be pointed out by some people, there is a need to formalize it and indeed, that is being formalized," he said.

Malaya also said that they "may or may not cite" the reason for the cancellation of the trip," but said that the President has said the reason for the cancellation of the trip "very well."

"For us in the DFA, our role is to convey the President's wishes and convey it in time," he said.

'No damage'

Malaya said that despite the cancellation of the trip, the country's ties with the two ASEAN neighbors are still solid.

He said that there has been "no damage" to the Philippines' relations with Vietnam and Indonesia with this incident, adding that cancellations of trips of world leaders occur frequently.

He added that it is a challenge for diplomats to manage relations all the time.

Malaya also said that new schedules for Aquino's visits to the two countries are currently being worked out.

"Some schedules are now being worked out in October... and if I may give a clue, towards the end of October, in fact," he said. With reports from Lynda Jumilla, ABS-CBN News, and ANC


by;abs-cbn