MANILA – Undersecretary Enrique Manalo, the newly appointed acting secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday vowed to continue important matters that needs special attention.
In a press conference, Manalo said he already started talking to some DFA officials to be briefed and update him on the latest.
“We will continue what we are doing and prioritize areas which are already priorities and I will be getting briefings from various offices at the department and I will be planning our future course for the next few weeks and months,” Manalo told reporters covering DFA.
When asked if he is expecting his appointment, Manalo said he was aware that his name was included in the short list handed to President Rodrigo Duterte but he still considered this as a surprise.
“I was informed officially this morning around 9. It was a bit of a surprise there it was so here,” Manalo said.
“So were ready and I’m busy preparing and I’m meeting with my officials at the DFA and go over the work that will have to be done,” he added.
He said he would implement status quo among his men and just asked them to exert more efforts specially that the country was the host country of the 50th year of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
As the newly appointed head of envoys, Manalo said, he woulds do the ministerial portion and let his lieutenants to do other important matters with their counterparts.
“We will continue our present policy and when we meet our counterparts we will be talking to them and explaining our policies and hear their views so we will be continuing what we are doing,” he said.
Asked if he had a chance to meet Yasay after he was named acting secretary, Manalo said: “We met him today and he gave us lots of tips . He said to do our job with integrity and to maintain our professionalism in the department and to always have the interest of the country at heart.”
According to Manalo, they have many priorities since DFA has political, economic, consular, assistance to nationals.
“I think and now we are also chair of ASEAN and we have to give a lot of attention to that. I think the priorities remain the same and the course will be up to the development which happened. We have a full plate,” he pointed out.
“The DFA will be continuing to do its job. Yesterday is already history and today we will continue all our priorities and one of them is to promote the interest of the country, the Filipino people. Just to assure everyone that the DFA is here, it’s working and will continue to serve the people,” he said. (PNA)
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