WITH the change in United States leadership, the replacement for former US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim is expected to happen in January next year, Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez said.
“We’ve been monitoring. I don’t think there’s a nominee yet, I don’t think there will be one. Not until January. The Biden administration would probably appoint a career [diplomat],” Romualdez said in an interview over Headstart.
The Ambassador said incumbent President Donald Trump had nominated a replacement for Kim last year.
“As far as the US Ambassador to the Philippines, there was a nominee that was submitted last year to replace Ambassador Kim. However, that was put on hold and now obviously it’s not gonna happen anymore,” Romualdez said.
Kim was assigned to the Philippines in 2016 to replace former US Ambassador to Manila Philip Golberg, the subject of tirades from President Rodrigo Duterte. The President, for one, called Golberg “gay” and denounced Washington for meddling in Manila’s domestic affairs.
Kim left his post as the US Ambassador to the Philippines last September to assume another post as Ambassador to Indonesia.
