Consul General Cecilia Rebong and the Trump World Tower building in Manhattan Photo: Jeff Goldberg/Esto Assignment to an overseas post in a world-class city like New York, London, or Paris, can mark the pinnacle of many a Philippine diplomat's career. And undoubtedly, the glitz and the glamour of a city like the "Big Apple" can easily rub-off on those who live and work there. And when it comes to flaunting "glitz and glamour" we Pinoys bow to no one; not since Imelda and Ferdinand showed us how a few decades back. Even so, more than a few eyebrows were raised when Filipino-Americans discovered that their Consul General, Cecilia Rebong has been renting a two-bedroom apartment at the overstatedly posh Trump Tower in Manhattan, for ten thousand dollars a month...at Filipino taxpayer's expense! Converted to Philippine currency, that is over half a million pesos that the Philippine Government shells-out for Ms. Rebong every month! Not to underestimate or diminish the important work that the Philippine Foreign Service and Diplomatic Corps perform for the country, but we can think of hundreds of young school-age boys and girls selling gum, cigarettes, and sampagitas on the streets of Manila who could put some of that money to better use: to attend school, pay for books, buy school uniforms, and so on. The Philippine government (and by extension, all Filipinos at home and abroad) need a reality check: Guess what folks! the Philippines is no longer the prosperous star of Southeast Asia that it was forty or fifty years ago when the exchange rate was just two pesos to the dollar. The Philippines is now a third-world country overpopulated, mired in debt and corruption, with its democratic institutions barely hanging by a thread. And thus, it seems unconscionable for any Philippine public servant to expect his or her government to shoulder any extravagance at the expense of the poor and hungry back home... especially when, as in this case, more reasonably priced apartments can be found elsewhere. While it may be true, as Consul General Rebong points out, that she violated no laws and in fact received the green light for the Trump Tower lease from her superiors, spending half a million pesos a month just for a place to live is a sign of poor judgment at best, and downright insensitivity and callousness at worst. The Philippines Government has to start bringing its expenses in line with this present reality: it has an overburdened third-world-sized economy, and the vast majority of its people live in poverty. The country therefore needs public servants that do not see their position or appointment as an entitlement, but rather as an opportunity to serve the Filipino people as best they can, in as fiscally prudent a manner as possible. So we say to Consul General Rebong: We hope you find more reasonably-priced living arrangements soon. Or you might hear the frequently uttered phrase of your current landlord Donald Trump, from your superior at the DFA: Cecilia...you're FIRED! Published 2005 Consul General Rebong's Statement to Philippine NewsLink: At the outset, I would like to assure our kababayans that in renting my official, not personal, residence every effort was taken to ensure that the Philippine government receives the value of its expenditure and that all laws, rules and regulations were observed in the process. This was a process that included a collegial examination and consideration of the lease contract by the appropriate offices of the Department, approval by then Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia D. Albert, and the passing of the required auditing and accounting requirements. When I assumed my post as Consul General in late 2003, there was no available government-owned residence for the Consul General in New York. While there was the Philippine Government townhouse on East 66th Street in Manhattan, the first three floors of the building were already occupied by the Philippine Permanent Representative to the United States. The upper three floors, on the other hand, were in a state of disrepair and needed major renovation work. An architectural firm has started the necessary work and renovation is scheduled to start soon. Once the renovation work is completed, I will move to the townhouse as was the original plan. Meantime, I needed to find quarters that met the following criteria: It had to be near or close to the Philippine Consulate General in Manhattan; It had to be centrally located to facilitate the holding of official and community functions; The Landlord or building management had to accept diplomats like myself as tenants; The Landlord or building management recognized and allowed the insertion of the “diplomatic clause”; and The rent was within the range authorized by the Department of Foreign Affairs and comparable to rates given to previous Consuls General in New York. The first two criteria ensure smooth and uninterrupted performance of official and community functions. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Philippine Consulate General in New York is open 24/7, 365 days a year. Often, our presence is required at the Consulate – quick and fast -- such that living close to the Consulate becomes a job description and not just a matter of convenience for any Philippine Consul assigned to the Philippine Consulate General in New York. As part of my duties, I have hosted functions and meetings with American investors, community leaders, government officials, cultural leaders, members of the media as well as with other diplomats and consular officials at my current residence. Such functions and meetings are intended to build goodwill and close, personal ties in pursuing our interests: from securing investments, tourism and trade, updating officials on developments in our country, promoting Philippine culture, ensuring that employers give Filipino employees their just due, and helping build close ties without and within the Filipino community. The third criterion is necessitated by the fact that in New York City, landlords seem averse to diplomats because of their diplomatic immunity. Even the condominium building where a Philippine Permanent Representative and Consul General lived in the 80s and 90s, respectively, no longer accepts diplomats as tenants. The fourth criterion is related to the third and it involves the so-called diplomatic clause. This clause is inserted in lease contracts for the protection of the sending government (in my case, the Philippine government). It simply states that I, as tenant, can terminate the lease contract at anytime before the maturity of the lease contract without exposing the Philippine government to any fine or penalty if termination is for official reasons. The fifth criterion is a fiscal and legal function. The Department of Foreign Affairs carefully scrutinizes lease contracts such as the one I have for my official residence before giving its final approval to make sure these contracts are consistent with existing government rules and regulations. All five criteria were followed when, finally, I settled on my current official residence. There were other choices including several condominium units in midtown and lower Manhattan. However, these units no longer accepted diplomats as tenants. Moreover, the rental rates in these units were much higher than what I am paying for my current official residence. Please allow me to close by saying that even as I continue to maximize the opportunities provided by my current official residence in pursuing legitimate Philippine national interests, I continue to make regular searches and inquiries for other possible accommodation that could address our needs and challenges for less cost. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to air my side. Very truly yours, (Sgd.) CECILIA B. REBONG Consul General