If he could troubleshoot Kim Jong-Un, how can he not tame Rodrigo Duterte?

Unlike his predecessor Philip Goldberg who left the Philippines almost a persona non grata, outgoing US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim is leaving the country in President Duterte’s good graces.

On the same day that Duterte pardoned US soldier Joseph Scott Pemberton, Kim paid Duterte a farewell call in Malacañang.

Duterte on Monday, September 7, conferred on Kim the Order of Sikatuna, the highest award given by the Philippine government to foreigners, including diplomats. The Order of Sikatuna came with the rank of Datu (Grand Cross), Gold Distinction.

It was a far cry from the last days of Goldberg, whom Duterte called “gay” after the ambassador criticized his pre-election rape joke involving an Australian missionary.

When he left the Philippines in October 2016, Goldberg was the first US ambassador not to receive the Order of Sikatuna in the post-Marcos years.

Kim, on the other hand, was welcomed with good news in Malacañang on Monday. He arrived in the presidential palace while Duterte was in the meeting where he announced the pardon for Pemberton, the US marine convicted for killing 26-year-old Filipino transgender woman Jennifer Laude on October 11, 2014.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra recounted to reporters: “Fifteen minutes into our meeting, the US ambassador arrived for his farewell call on the President. He seemed rather surprised when the President mentioned Pemberton’s pardon, and he thanked the President for it.”

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr likewise told GMA News that the US did not request this pardon for Pemberton – and was “surprised.”

Veteran Korea negotiator

Kim arrived in the Philippines in December 2016 when ties between Manila and Washington were at their lowest point in decades. Duterte had called President Barack Obama a son of a bitch, humiliated America in a regional summit by showing photos of a 1906 massacre of Filipinos by US troops, and threatening to cut military and economic ties with the US as he vowed a pivot to China.

When Kim started his tour of duty, it was also just two years since Pemberton killed Laude – a murder that had fueled calls for the Philippines to end a two-decade Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the US. It was under Goldberg’s watch, during the Aquino presidency, when Laude was murdered.

The Philippines on February 11 said it was ending the VFA – but changed its mind on June 2 and said it was suspending this termination for at least 6 months.

But Kim – one of America’s leading North Korea negotiators – knows his diplomacy. (He’s the type of negotiator who – even if he was already ambassador to the Philippines – was still brought in by the US for talks with North Korean officials in 2018.)

So when he got down to business, Kim chose to lie low on commenting about Duterte, and was the President’s most frequent diplomat-visitor next to China’s ambassador. He also oversaw a milestone in ties between Manila and Washington: the return of the historic Balangiga Bells, spoils of the Philippine-American War that previous Philippine presidents tried but failed to get back.

Most recently, Kim flew in 100 state-of-the-art ventilators, made in America, to help in the Philippines’ fight against COVID-19. The US has donated at least P1 billion ($22.6 million) to help the Philippines weather the pandemic.

Well, Kim, the diplomat, is flying back home with an award… and a pardon for Pemberton. – Rappler.com

Editor’s Note: An original version of this story said the Balangiga Bells were spoils of World War II. We have corrected this to say these were spoils of the Philippine-American War.