By ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS
WITH only three months left of his term, President Aquino appointed his cabinet secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras, 56, as foreign secretary.
Press Secretary Herminio Coloma announced tonight that “President Aquino has appointed Jose Rene Almendras as ad interim Secretary of Foreign Affairs, according to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. He replaces Secretary Albert del Rosario whose resignation took effect today.”
An ad interim appointment, made while Congress is in recess, allows the appointee to perform the functions and powers of the position until rejected by the Commission on Appointments.
A classmate of Aquino, Almendras first joined the Aquino cabinet in 2010 as energy secretary. He was later brought to Malacañang amid reports of gross inefficiency in Malacanang and the rivalry between the Mar Roxas allies (known as Balay group) and the Samar group,those who went for the Aquino-Binay in the 2010 elections.
Almendras does not belong to either group, a Malacanang source said.
Prior to joining the government, Almendras was president and chief operating officer of the Ayala-owned of Manila Water.
Almendras’ background is more on business rather than foreign service. He obtained his business management degree from Ateneo de Manila University. He completed the strategic business economics program at the University of Asia and the Pacific.
Foreign-affairs related work that he was known to have done was travelling to Hongkong with former President Joseph Estrada in 2014 to apologize for the inept handling by the Aquino government of the hostage crisis in Rizal Park in 2010 that killed eight tourists from Hongkong.
DFA sources said Almendras exerted control on issues involving Malaysia.
Many expected the President to name one of the senior career officers for the position. One officer said he was puzzled why the President appointed an “outsider” who would still have to learn the ropes in foreign service with only three months left in his adminstration. But then he said, “It’s better that it’s Almendras and not Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda.”
