No DFA snub of German national day

MANILA, Philippines — Despite a ban on attending national day celebrations of countries that approved the Iceland-initiated resolution that called for a probe on drug-related killings in the Philippines, there was a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) representative at the German Unity Day on Thursday.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for policy Enrique Manalo represented the department at the 29th anniversary of German Unity held at the New World Hotel in Makati.

Manalo and German Ambassador Anke Reiffenstuel offered the traditional toast at the event.

Sources said it was Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. who sent Manalo.

The German Unity Day on Oct. 3 commemorated the 1990 reunification of then East and West Germany.

Locsin is with President Duterte in the latter’s second official visit to Russia. The President arrived in Moscow on Wednesday to kick off his weeklong visit in the country upon the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

France and Germany are co-sponsors of the Iceland-initiated resolution which sought to investigate Duterte’s bloody war on drugs. Eighteen UN member-states voted in favor and 14 against the resolution. Fifteen abstained.

On Monday, Locsin said in a tweet that he had prohibited representatives of his department from attending the celebrations of countries that favored the Iceland resolution.

French Ambassador Nicolas Galey attended the German National Day.

No DFA representative showed up at the traditional diplomatic toasts for the Bastille Day and French National Day at the official residence of the French ambassador in Forbes Park, Makati last July.

Sources said the French embassy was informed by the DFA that no one from the department would be available for the Bastille Day celebration.