MANILA, Philippines — Cambodia recalled its Ambassador to Manila
following his remarks accusing the Philippines and Vietnam of “dirty politics”
in pushing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations members for a common
stand on the West Philippine Sea dispute.
Department of Foreign Affairs
spokesman Raul Hernandez said Friday morning that the Cambodian Foreign
Ministry and the Cambodian Embassy in Manila separately informed the DFA of the
Ambassador Hos Sereythonh’s recall.
“It is the prerogative of
governments to appoint or to recall ambassadors, as they deem fit and
appropriate,” said Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez, the foreign office’s
official spokesman.
“Cambodia is an Asean member and
a friend. We hope that Cambodia will help
reinforce the friendship that exists between our two countries,” he added.
The DFA summoned Hos last week
over his published remarks lashing out at Manila and Hanoi for being
“inflexible” in July’s Asean ministers’ meeting in Phnom Penh.
The body failed to issue a joint
communiqué following the talks because of disagreements on the West Philippine
Sea issue.
In a strongly worded letter
published in a national daily last week, Hos accused the Philippines and
Vietnam of stalling last month’s talks among Asean foreign ministers in Phnom
Penh by pushing an “inflexible and non-negotiable” position on territorial
disputes with China in the West Philippine Sea, the name by which the
Philippine government refers to the South China Sea.
The letter was in response to an
article written by Foreign Undersecretary
for Policy Erlinda Basilio—“What happened in Phnom Penh”— which sought
to shed light on Asean’s failure to issue a joint communiqué on the Spratlys debate
after last month’s Asean ministerial meeting in Phnom Penh. The absence of a
joint communiqué was unprecedented in Asean’s 45-year history.
The recall of the ambassador,
rare among members of the Asean, happened as the bloc celebrated its 45th
anniversary, an event which brought together calls for greater unity among
member nations despite disputes.
Saying he was sick, Hos did not
heed the DFA’s repeated summons last week and instead sent his Second Secretary
Tan Chandaravuth to accept the note verbale seeking his explanation. Tan, who attended
a DFA event on Friday, also refused to comment on the issue.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Del
Rosario in a separate interview said that the ambassador was scheduled to leave
on August 17.
Asked how this was going to
affect the relations between Cambodia and the Philippines, Del Rosario said, “I
don’t think it affects the bilateral relations at all and I’d like to think
we’re looking forward to healthy bilateral relations with Cambodia.”
Del Rosario said Cambodia did not
explain the decision to pull out its envoy.
“All we received was a note
verbale to say that he was being replaced,” Del Rosario told reporters on the
sidelines of DFA’s celebration of Asean’s 45th anniversary.
However, a reliable source from
the Cambodian Embassy in Manila said that Hos was being recalled because of the
article he wrote and the accusations he made against the Philippines and
Vietnam.
The source said that Cambodia’s
move was made to defuse long-simmering tensions over the disputed West
Philippine Sea.
Asked if he believed Hos wrote
the article without clearance from his foreign ministry, Del Rosario said, “I
don’t think an ambassador can move on his own.”
Hernandez said the Cambodian
Foreign Ministry sent a note verbale relaying its decision to recall the envoy to
the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh on August 3, four days after the
Philippines protested Hos’ letter.
The DFA main office in Manila
also received notice about the recall from the Cambodian embassy here earlier
this week.
Hernandez said the DFA was taking
the recall “at face value” but noted that it happened after Manila’s protest of
Hos’ statement.
He said Cambodia is in the
process of selecting Hos’ replacement and has requested the facilitation of
Manila’s acceptance of a new envoy.
“The Philippines and Cambodia
have maintained bilateral relations for the past 55 years. Initiatives for
joint cooperation and partnership are progressing steadily. The appointment of
a new ambassador as well as the request for facilitation of the agrément
attests to the continued commitment to strengthen relations,” Hernandez said.
“I don’t think it affects the
bilateral relations at all. We’re looking forward to healthy bilateral
relations with Cambodia,” said Del Rosario.
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