Union of Foreign Service Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs (UNIFORS) president and Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Victoria Bataclan asked political ambassadors to voluntarily vacate their posts by the end of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s term on June 30 despite a Malacañang order to defer the recall of political ambassadors.

“With all due respect, time’s up,” Bataclan said. “Respectfully, we request our colleagues to join us and implement the Constitution and the law. All of us must follow the rule of law.”

Last June 7, Malacañang ordered Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Alberto Romulo to defer the recall order on political ambassadors.

The Malacañang order came after acting Department of Justice (DoJ) Secretary Alberto Agra came out with a legal opinion that “the government officer charged with the payment of said salaries and other emoluments can rightfully rely upon the apparent title of the subject officer and treat him as if an officer de jure, without inquiring whether another one has a better right.”

Agra’s legal opinion dated April 23, 2010 has reportedly been the basis of some political ambassadors to stay on their posts despite being co-terminus with the President.

On April 28, 2010, Secretary Romulo issued Assignment Order 207-10, recalling all political ambassadors effective June 30.

Twenty-five ambassadors were given a recall order by Romulo. They are: Acmad Omar, who is currently based in the Philippine embassy in Muscat, Oman; Antonio Villamor, Saudi Arabia; Generoso Senga, Tehran, Iran; Francisco Ortigas III, Mexico; Jose Brillantes, Ottawa, Canada; Ma. Consuelo Puyat Reyes, Santiago, Chile; Ernesto de Leon, Canberra, Australia; Orlando Mercado, Philippine Permanent Representative to the ASEAN based in Jakarta, Indonesia; Vidal Querol, Jakarta; Ramoncito Marino, Koror, Palau; F rancisco Benedicto, Beijing, China; Noe Wong, Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Shirley Ho Vicario, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; Domingo Siazon Jr., Tokyo, Japan; Bienvenido Tejano, Wellington, New Zealand; Rigoberto Tiglao, Athens, Greece; Delia Albert, Berlin, Germany; Alejandro del Rosario, Warsaw, Poland; Manuel Antonio Teehankee, Philippine Representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland; Antonio Manuel Lagdameo, London; Regina Irene Sarmiento, Prague, Czech Republic; Mercedes Tuazon, Vatican; Alexander Yano, Brunei; Cardozo Luna, The Hague, Netherlands; and Ana Ines de Sequera Ugarte, Madrid, Spain.

A high-ranking diplomatic source said that if the recall order would be followed, the next ranking officer in their respective posts shall act as the Charge d’ Affaires until the assumption of office of the new ambassador when the political ambassadors vacate their posts come June 30, 2010.

The source added that career ambassadors are not affected by the recall as they have a six-year tour of duty in their respective posts.

Meanwhile, senior Lakas party members of challenged President-elect Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III to show good leadership in government by sparing Arroyo appointees with fixed terms, like Armed Forces Chief Gen. Delfin Bangit, from purging once he assumes the presidency, saying such would draw the kind of statesman that he is.

Former Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay, the party’s vice president, and Zambales Rep. Ma. Milagros “Mitos”Magsaysay told the Wednesday Serye News Forum that as a good leader,

Aquino should be able to respect the fixed terms of government officials who were appointed by President Arroyo.

Pichay – who was appointed chairman of the Local Waters and Utilities Administrator (LWUA) by President Arroyo – said Aquino should respect the incumbent President’s appointees, especially if their appointments do not fall under the definition of so-called “midnight appointment.”

“Those who were appointed before March 9 should be respected by the incoming President because the purpose of putting actually a term of office is so that there will be continuity in their programs,” he said.

He noted that many of the government items with fixed terms are in government-owned and -controlled corporations (GoCC), constitutional bodies, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

“These are the agencies that have to be respected by the incoming President for the sake of continuity in programs,” Pichay said.

Continuity in the programs of said agencies, he said, are so important that riling it could affect the country’s economy.

“You cannot rock the board of the Central Bank, especially at this point in time when there is crisis in the United States and in Europe.

Magsaysay said whether Aquino would revoke these appointments or not would be a test to his leadership and statesmanship.

“If he will be a good President and leader, he would be able to lead his subordinates, especially those who once did not support him. That’s why you are called a leader because you are able to know and lead your subordinates to follow you out of respect,” the lawmaker said. (With a report from Gabriel S. Mabutas)