Breaking News
25 September 2006
ROMULO PUSHED FOR ANNAN U.N. POST
Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, said she recommended to President Arroyo the nomination of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo for United Nation secretary general, a post that will be vacated by Kofi Annan by December 31 this year.“By tradition, in 2007 it becomes the turn of an Asian to be secretary general. So far, the Asian field of candidates is considered weak,” said Santiago, a former UN officer in Geneva.
Santiago said that although the Asian bloc of countries had initially committed itself to support the Thai candidate, the recent coup d’etat has made the Thai candidacy problematic.
“Straw votes are being conducted, with results that are not convincing to UN observers. If we are going to have an Asian secretary general at all, why not a Filipino?” Santiago said.
The senator said that it is essential for a candidate to have the support of both China and the United States.
“Sec. Romulo appears to be acceptable to both Beijing and Washington. I think in his case France will be willing to waive the French requirement that the nominee should be French speaking,” she said.
Santiago said President Arroyo was amenable to the Romulo nomination during the Friday meeting between the senator and the President in Malacañang.
“In fact, the ideal candidate would be President Arroyo herself, because the widespread call is for a first female secretary general. Being an incumbent president and chair of the ASEAN, she would be the most highly qualified among any female candidate. There is even no qualified female candidate at present,” Santiago said.
However, the senator added that President Arroyo did not appear interested, at which point Santiago recommended instead Sec. Romulo.
“President Arroyo said that if the idea is attractive to Sec. Romulo, then the Philippines could start a serious campaign. It is timely, because early birds in the nomination process are usually overtaken by a dark horse,” she said.
Santiago expressed the hope that other Filipinos who have floated their own candidacies but have not yet received formal support from President Arroyo, would instead unite behind the nomination of Sec. Romulo.
“After all, Romulo is the incumbent foreign affairs secretary, a former presidential executive secretary, and a former senator. Among Asian candidates, he would probably be the most acceptable to the permanent members of the Security Council,” Santiago said.
Santiago pointed to the example of outgoing UN secretary general Kofi Annan, a UN bureaucrat who rose through the ranks, and was not even considered a serious candidate until the last few weeks of the negotiations.
“It would be a great honor and a source of prestige for our country if a Filipino is elected secretary general. It is a position of global leadership,” Santiago said.
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