‘Megaphone diplomacy’

It is not overly optimistic to foresee a full restoration to normalcy of the Philippine relations with the European Union (EU) anytime soon. Quietly, the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte has apparently gone a long way to mend strained relations with the EU.

One after the other, positive signals lately coming from the side of the Philippine government have obviously pleased the EU to augur well for normalization of the relations. 

Much earlier, the EU welcomed former Senate president Edgardo Angara as President Duterte’s designated special envoy to the EU. Then last Wednesday, the Commission on Appointments (CA) finally confirmed President Duterte’s nomination of Eduardo de Vega as Philippine ambassador to Brussels, Luxembourg and the EU.

De Vega took over from the post vacated by former amb. Victoria Bataclan who retired in September 2016. Since then, it has been vacant but the Philippine embassy was run by charge d’affaires Alan Deniega. “Having an ambassador in place will show the value of relations of having highest level of representation with host government,” it was pointed out.

With his CA confirmation, the host government will be able to accept De Vega and thus enable him to report for duty in our Embassy based in Brussels.

Then last Thursday, the Senate committee on foreign relations chaired by Sen. Loren Legarda reported out their panel’s recommendation for the Philippine concurrence to the Partnership Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the EU.

President Duterte signed the PCA instrument in February this year and was immediately transmitted to the Philippine Senate for ratification. As mandated under the country’s 1987 Constitution, all international agreements and treaties entered into by the government must pass through ratification process by the Senate and must get two-thirds vote for approval. 

Barring any hitches, the PCA will likely get smooth sailing for ratification at the Senate plenary sessions this week before the 17th Congress adjourns for their Christmas recess starting Dec. 16.

It was former President Benigno Aquino III who first signed the PCA with the EU two years ago. However, the PCA languished at the legislative mills of the Senate during the 16th Congress that failed to ratify it. The EU Parliament immediately ratified it more than two years ago and had been waiting for the Philippines to give its own concurrence as its contracting party.

Only last September, Angara along with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez flew to a diplomatic mission in Brussels, Belgium. The Angara-Lopez team met and had official talks with concerned EU officials at their headquarters in Brussels where its other agencies hold offices, including the EU Parliament.

Our just concluded EU Journalists Programme, hosted by the EU Delegation to the Philippines headed by ambassador Franz Jessen, was one of the diplomatic efforts to reach out to the Filipino public audience through media. Jessen has been bearing the brunt of fire and brimstones from President Duterte – who in one of his outbursts in public – told EU to pack out in 24 hours, though he really did not mean it.

The efforts to repair whatever damage in the Philippines-EU ties are apparently going on both ways and below the radar.

The President admits foreign policy is not among his strong suits. But he always invokes his powers as the country’s chief foreign policy architect under the 1987 Constitution in espousing independent foreign policy direction.

The former Davao City Mayor insists he was not sworn into office to become a diplomat nor a statesman. He always reiterates his oath to serve and protect the interest of the entire Filipino nation but not to follow dictates by foreign powers.

The bitter differences first erupted between President Duterte and the EU after the latter scored his administration over the rising tide of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and human rights (HR) abuses related to the war against illegal drugs in the past 18 months of his leadership of the Philippines.

In retaliation, President Duterte minced no words in his shotgun blasts against the entire EU. The presidential rhetoric reached high decibels, especially after certain members of the EU Parliament flew here to visit opposition leader Sen. Leila de Lima who has been jailed in special detention cell at the PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

After being allowed to see her, the visiting EU Parliamentarians publicly scored President Duterte for perceived State-sanctioned EJKs and HR violations and demanded the release of De Lima from jail.

The President ignored their calls which were reiterations of two “Resolutions of Urgency” of the EU Parliament. They were passed in September 2016 and in March this year where, among other things, EU parliamentarians warned about withdrawal of General System of Preference (GSP) Plus benefits of non-tariff privileges of Philippine goods and services to EU markets.

The EU Philippines subsequently clarified they have nothing to do with the independent statements from the EU Parliamentarians as they are elected representatives and independent from the EU Commission. The EU Commission is the Executive Branch of this supranational institution, consisting of 28 member-states, that has “complicated” structures and processes.

While “insulting” EU in public but does other things positively, officials from both the EU Commission and the EU Parliament could not make heads or tails on how to read the President’s “mixed signals” policy directions. It was impressed upon us in many of our non-attribution discussions at the EU Journalists Programme in Brussels these are the difficulties they face on whether or not the Philippines wants to continue with its trade, development funds and aids projects with them.

“But of course, we prefer strong engagement in quiet diplomacy instead of megaphone diplomacy,” another EU official said, obviously referring to extemporaneous speeches of President Duterte in public attacking the EU.

However, it would seem President Duterte’s foreign policy tack has given the Philippines much leverage. His kind of “megaphone diplomacy” may be too loud, but it has proven to be working well for us. The Philippines is now being given its due attention for better treatment by its sworn friends and allies in the global arena.