Duterte promotes DFA officer who distributed video of household worker's rescue
Published Nov 11, 2018 19:10 pm
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Updated Nov 11, 2018 19:10 pm
By Roy Mabasa
A controversial officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) who figured in the release of a video showing the clandestine rescue of a Filipina household service worker from the residence of her employer in Kuwait in April, was promoted by Malacañang to the rank of Chief of Mission, equivalent to an ambassador.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
In an order dated October 31, 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the appointment of Elmer Gozun Cato who is currently serving as head of the DFA’s public information office.
“Pursuant to the provisions of Section 16, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution and existing laws, you are hereby appointed ad interim Chief of Mission, Class II with Item No. OSEC-DFAB CMIC-2-2018 in the Department of Foreign Affairs,” Malacañang said in an order signed by the President.
Chief of Mission Class II is lower in rank to Chief of Mission I in terms of salary grade and seniority. But either one can be appointed Ambassador Plenipotentiary, Deputy Chief of Mission or just plain Minister to a foreign country.
Cato's appointment however has yet to go through the scrutiny of the powerful Commission of Appointments (CA).
His name surfaced in April when he distributed to the media covering the DFA snippets of video footages that showed a female OFW being rescued by Philippine Embassy personnel from the household of her Kuwaiti employer.
As a result, the video material was published, broadcasted on television and uploaded on various social media platforms.
So infuriated by the circulation of the video showing the daring rescue committed in their own soil, the Kuwaiti government arrested at least four Embassy people who were believed to be involved in the rescue.
The diplomatic row between the two countries reached a fever pitch when Kuwait subsequently ordered the expulsion of then Philippine Ambassador Renato Villa.
Villa was the first Filipino diplomat to be expelled from a foreign posting.
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs later described the clandestine act as “flagrant and grave breach of rules and regulations that govern diplomatic action.”
It added that Villa’s expulsion was “in retaliation for undiplomatic acts by Philippine Embassy, encouraging Filipino domestic workers to flee employers’ household.”
Although a new labor agreement has been signed between the Philippines and Kuwait that provides further protection to thousands of OFWs deployed in that country, both sides have yet to name their respective envoys to bring the diplomatic relations to its normal status.
Prior to his promotion, Cato also served as the country’s Charge d’Affaires at the Philippine Embassy in Iraq.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
In an order dated October 31, 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the appointment of Elmer Gozun Cato who is currently serving as head of the DFA’s public information office.
“Pursuant to the provisions of Section 16, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution and existing laws, you are hereby appointed ad interim Chief of Mission, Class II with Item No. OSEC-DFAB CMIC-2-2018 in the Department of Foreign Affairs,” Malacañang said in an order signed by the President.
Chief of Mission Class II is lower in rank to Chief of Mission I in terms of salary grade and seniority. But either one can be appointed Ambassador Plenipotentiary, Deputy Chief of Mission or just plain Minister to a foreign country.
Cato's appointment however has yet to go through the scrutiny of the powerful Commission of Appointments (CA).
His name surfaced in April when he distributed to the media covering the DFA snippets of video footages that showed a female OFW being rescued by Philippine Embassy personnel from the household of her Kuwaiti employer.
As a result, the video material was published, broadcasted on television and uploaded on various social media platforms.
So infuriated by the circulation of the video showing the daring rescue committed in their own soil, the Kuwaiti government arrested at least four Embassy people who were believed to be involved in the rescue.
The diplomatic row between the two countries reached a fever pitch when Kuwait subsequently ordered the expulsion of then Philippine Ambassador Renato Villa.
Villa was the first Filipino diplomat to be expelled from a foreign posting.
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs later described the clandestine act as “flagrant and grave breach of rules and regulations that govern diplomatic action.”
It added that Villa’s expulsion was “in retaliation for undiplomatic acts by Philippine Embassy, encouraging Filipino domestic workers to flee employers’ household.”
Although a new labor agreement has been signed between the Philippines and Kuwait that provides further protection to thousands of OFWs deployed in that country, both sides have yet to name their respective envoys to bring the diplomatic relations to its normal status.
Prior to his promotion, Cato also served as the country’s Charge d’Affaires at the Philippine Embassy in Iraq.