Fil-Ams hail Paynor’s appointment as PH envoy to US

CALIFORNIA, USA – President Rodrigo Duterte’s provocative pronouncements and unorthodox policies tend to polarize, but his top diplomatic appointment has won nothing but praise from Filipino Americans here.

Duterte admirers and critics alike are hailing the selection of Marciano Paynor Jr as Philippine ambassador to the United States. He is the immediate past consul general in San Francisco.

“I can think of no one more suited to guide US-Philippine relations over the next 6 years,” said Lupita Aquino Kashiwahara, whose engagement in politics spans both sides of the Pacific.

She described “AmbaP” as the “epitome of elegant civility with the diplomatic skills and demeanor to navigate a relationship which is undergoing new challenges.”

Kashiwahara summed up the collective reaction of those who had worked with Paynor: “The bilateral future of the two countries is in very capable hands.” 

“Ambassador Paynor as consul general always stressed continued love for country and respect for the flag both here and abroad,” said Daly City Personnel Commissioner Glenn Sylvester, a retired sergeant with the San Francisco Police Department and one of two Fil-Ams running for the city council in November.

“His desire to empower Fil-Ams by participation in all levels of community and government is readily apparent. It is my sincere hope to that he continues to remain available to all communities in delivering empowerment and self-worth,” he added.

Paynor was the highest ranking representative of the Philippine government on the US and Canada west coast from 2007 to 2014, a period marked by turbulence in his home country and by extension the Filipino American communities. He was consul general in Los Angeles from 2002 to 2006.

The composure he displayed amid furor and division among Fil-Ams over the ouster of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, the corruption charges leading to the prosecution and hospital arrest of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the “pork barrel” probes resulting in the detention of the then Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and other lawmakers, and the conflict with China over the West Philippine Sea may be attributed to his military training, according to a comrade in arms.

“He was an efficient operations officer, very particular about details in planning and implementation,” recalled retired IT systems analyst Irwin Ver, a retired lieutenant colonel with the Philippine Army and Paynor’s senior officer with the Presidential Guard in the 1970s.

The role “required frequent coordination and interaction with heads of various agencies and public officials,” said Ver. The Hayward, California, resident credited underclass fellow Philippine Military Academy Paynor’s background to the latter’s “easy transition into the diplomatic corps where he effectively forged friendly and professional relationships with foreign officials.”

An elected official enjoyed closeness with the envoy to declare him an “astute man with an eye toward the bigger picture.” 

Daly City Council Member and two-time Mayor Ray Buenaventura calls Paynor a “visionary constantly thinking about the future.” 

The private defense attorney commended Paynor for inspiring him to run for office.

“Several years ago, he asked me to join him for breakfast at a local restaurant in San Francisco,” said Buenaventura, who was born in Quezon City and educated in La Salle Greenhills before immigrating with his banker father to the United States.

“Little did I know that his purpose was to convince me to step up to more leadership roles in the community. At the time, I was not involved in politics nor did I have a desire to enter public office. He convinced me that I had a responsibility to the community. He knew then what I didn’t know: that I was capable of leading. I just needed someone like him to push me. He was always looking out for the greater good of the community.”

San Francisco-born Juslin Manalo stressed the importance of connection to the ancestral homeland, which she saw while advocating for Filipino WWII veterans with Paynor during his tenure in San Francisco. 

“I hope to be able to address issues facing the community here and in the Philippines,” said the Daly City Personnel Commissioner also on the ballot for the city council. “Although many Fil-Ams consider the US home, our roots and ties to the Philippines remain ever so relevant.”

Longtime community leader Perla Ibarrientos found Paynor to be an example of traditional chivalry.

“He had a way of making you feel important,” said the board chair of the Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center, who led a delegation of Filipino American leaders to Malacañang after Paynor had returned to Manila. “He commands respect because he is respectful.”   

Paynor had retired from the Department of Foreign Affairs, but was director general of the APEC national organizing committee under President Benigno Aquino III.  

Duterte appointed him chief of protocol prior to naming him for the Washington D.C. post. 

“His stint as protocol officer to 5 presidents gives him the ability to effectively communicate with chiefs of state,” said Ver. “His attentiveness to details, his can-do attitude and strong grasp of diplomatic protocols will serve him well as Ambassador to the US.” 

Paynor’s second-in-command during his posting in San Francisco saw the paternal side of the head of mission.

Current Deputy Consul General Jaime Ramon Ascalon, who arrived shortly before Paynor’s exit, appreciates how his family and colleagues at the consulate have “greatly benefited from Congen and Mrs. Tess Paynor’s excellent and practical advice on family and other personal matters.”

Duterte’s emissary will need to be on his toes in the current administration, if his president stays true to form.

Barely had Duterte announced Paynor’s appointment when the former in a news conference referred to President Barack Obama as a “son of a bitch” who has no business questioning the PH leader’s human rights record.

Those choice words triggered the abrupt cancellation of Obama’s meeting with the Duterte on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Laos.

The leader of the free world did not explain the cancellation, but confirmed he had asked his staff if it would be fruitful to meet Duterte, given his “colorful” language.

Ascalon said the community may expect Paynor to arrive in Washington DC following confirmation by the Philippine Senate. He will then present his credentials at the White House for “acceptance” by the US government. By then Paynor will meet with a new American president.

In September Philippine presidential aide Ernesto Abella called on the Filipino American press to avoid “adversarial” coverage of Duterte out of “patriotism.” – Rappler.com