Siazon: I never said Barican's unfit to be an envoy

Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon denied yesterday that he ever said outgoing Presidential Spokesman Fernando Barican was unfit to become an ambassador.

Siazon explained that the possibility of Barican heading either of two plum diplomatic posts - the United Nations in New York or as Washington envoy - was not included in the discussions on the spokesman's new assignment.

In diplomacy, he said, it was improper to talk about replacements when the posts were still occupied. The UN post is still filled by the Philippines' permanent representative, Felipe Mabilangan, while former Senate President Ernesto Maceda is in Washington.

At Malacañang, Barican told reporters that he was satisfied with Siazon's explanation.

"I'm thankful to Secretary Siazon for clearing the matter and putting (it) to rest," he said, stressing that he has no feud with the foreign secretary.

In a letter to Barican dated April 7, Siazon said: "I regret that unintended color has been introduced by one newspaper (not The STAR) to my responses to questions from the press."

He told Barican that as spokesman, he should have known that statements of a government official may have different interpretations.

"I am certain that in your present function as spokesman for the President, you have seen that different takes on one and the same set of quotes are often made," said Siazon, who had drawn flak for stating that his department was not an employment agency.

Barican himself confirmed he was offered the posts in Argentina and Indonesia by President Estrada since the ambassadors there were political appointees.

Siazon earlier mentioned that two posts were vacant and could be occupied by political appointees, but did not identify these posts.

"I said too than an embassy in Venezuela would be opened, but denied that Secretary Araneta was necessarily slated to lead it," Siazon said. -- With Marichu Villanueva