NEWSFLASH 

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FUROR OVER DJOANNA GARCIA LOBBY TO BE L.A. CONSUL

Manila, April 8, 2000 The latest controversy involving President Estrada and his close friend from the entertainment industry is the alleged lobbying to get sometime movie star Djoanna Garcia as head of the Philippine Consulaate in Los Angeles, California. Djoanna was the live-in partner for many years of former Caloocan City mayor Macario “Boy” Asistio, a close friend of Estrada.

Asistio yesterday denied that he had been lobbying for the appointment of his ex-lover; and Asistio's current live-in partner, former movie starlet Nadia Montenegro, also denied this.

''Boy has nothing to do with that,'' Montenegro, who has five children by the former mayor, told the Inquirer yesterday.

''Gigi is a good friend of Laarni Enriquez. So it's probably Laarni who's lobbying for her,'' Montenegro added.

Enriquez, also a former starlet, has three children by the President.

According to Brian Lapira, spokesperson of the Asistios, the former mayor never requested President Estrada and Foreign Affairs Secretary Domingo Siazon that Garcia be named LA consul general.

''Sarili ko nga hindi ko mairekomenda, yung ibang tao pa (I can't even recommend myself, what more other people)?'' Lapira quoted Asistio, a close friend of the President's, as saying before leaving for Bicol yesterday morning.

Garcia, who dabbled in show biz in the 1980s, has two children by Asistio. She has had no experience as a diplomat.

A senior official of the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Thursday that Asistio had been lobbying for Garcia's appointment.

The Inquirer reports that DFA officials are up in arms over Asistio's supposed request, saying Garcia is unqualified to serve as consul general.

''Think of the impression it would create (for women diplomats). Magpakabit ka lang, pwede ka nang maging consul (Just be someone's mistress and you can be a consul),'' said an official who asked not to be named.

''It's demoralizing to say the least,'' she added.

Of the Philippines' 18 consul generals, 11 are women. Fourteen of the 59 ambassadors are women.

But Lapira said Asistio had not received information on Garcia's application for the post.

''And if she did apply and she's qualified, it is up to the President to act on it,'' he quoted Asistio as saying.

He also said: ''Matagal na silang wala kaya paano pa niya daw gagawin iyon (The relationship has long ended, so how could he have made the recommendation)?''

Lapira added that Asistio and the President had not seen each other for some time.

A mid-level DFA official said they were looking at a likely repeat of a situation wherein Mr. Estrada went against tradition and appointed fellow actor Amado Cortez consul general to San Francisco.

Cortez's appointment in 1998 reportedly triggered widespread grumbling among foreign service officers who felt they were bypassed.

Siazon has since said that Cortez would be the last politically appointed consul general.

Still, DFA personnel acknowledged that the President could appoint Garcia consul general if he wanted to because it is within his power.

A comment by a rank-and-file employee reflected the general sentiment: ''We don't like it but what can we do?''

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