‘Inadvertently misleading’
have a passport if you’re not a citizen of the issuing country? Perfecto Yasay Jr. apparently thought this was possible when he initially told the Commission on Appointments, which was deliberating on his nomination as secretary of foreign affairs, that he had never been a citizen of the United States.
When subsequent reports indicated he might have misled the CA members, Yasay tweaked his story and said he applied for but did not accept US citizenship. Yesterday at his confirmation hearing, Yasay was shown documents proving that he acquired US citizenship in 1986, and that he renounced this at the US embassy only last year, days before his appointment as the Philippines’ top diplomat.
Finally, Yasay must have decided that the truth would set him free. The man who memorably said “we cannot forever be the little brown brothers of America” admitted yesterday that, yes, he was for some time an American citizen, and he was apologizing for “inadvertently misleading” the CA. “I may not have fully disclosed what was required in my answering this question, but this is really normal in a process like this,” Yasay explained. “You get nervous, you somehow come up with answers that you do not intend.”
Yasay might have thought he was spouting diplomatese, but CA members had a description for the verbal acrobatics: lying. All 15 members of the CA’s foreign relations committee unanimously rejected his appointment; the commission is still pondering whether Yasay should be held liable for lying under oath.
As of last night Yasay, who has figured in other legal entanglements particularly during his days as head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, was still in his post. He is widely believed to have won his DFA appointment because he was a college dormitory roommate of President Duterte and a fellow Davaoeño. It’s unclear if the President, who is seen as anti-US, knew that his foreign affairs secretary was himself an American until last year.
A man’s word is his bond, and a man who can lie under oath before Congress can lie about a lot of other things. Trust is critical particularly for the person who represents the country on the international stage. How the President deals with his childhood friend will show his sincerity in pursuing good governance. When the President scouts for a replacement, there should be better vetting of citizenship issues.
How can you
