President Benigno S. Aquino III is expected to name Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Erlinda Basilio as ambassador to China, reliable sources at the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
Malacanang said last Friday the President would announce Monday the new ambassador to China who will replace Sonia Brady,71, who suffered a stroke in Beijing last August.
Malacanang, however, made no such announcement, preoccupied it was with monitoring typhoon “Pablo.”
DFA sources said Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario submitted to the President a short list of his recommendees, all career officers, for the post that is considered the most challenging in foreign relations.
Sources said the President wanted someone senior. Thus, Basilio,68, was chosen over the younger officers. Having retired from the foreign service, Basilio is a political appointee.
DFA insiders say the President has always been comfortable with the soft-spoken Basilio and believes her calm demeanor would be an asset in dealing with China, especially at this time when the conflicting claims over the West Philippine Sea and, more recently, Panatag shoal have strained relations between the two countries.
A graduate of the University of the Philippines (Bachelor of Arts and Masters in Political Science), Basilio joined the foreign service in 1970. She served as ambassador to Sweden and permanent representative to the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.
She is an Asia hand, having served as Assistant Secretary for Asia and Pacific Affairs. She was Undersecretary for Policy of former Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo during the Arroyo administration and continued in this position under the Aquino administration.
Basilio served as acting secretary of foreign affairs when Romulo went on an indefinite leave of absence in February 2011 before Del Rosario was appointed foreign secretary.