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(September
16, 2007/ Phnom Penh) The Executive Committee of the Council of
Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD), the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP)
and the Regional Office for East and Southeast Asia of the
Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) hosted last night a Dinner
Reception in honor of Mr. John Joseph S. Coronel, outgoing CALD
Executive Director at the Foreign Correspondents Club, a
landmark in the Cambodian capital.
The event,
chaired by CALD and Liberal Party of the Philippines Secretary
General, Dr. J.R. Nereus Acosta, was attended by SRP officials
including Hon. Sam Rainsy, MP, former CALD Chairman and leader
of the Cambodian opposition, and fellow parliamentarians
Mesdames Saumura Tioulong and Mardi Seng.
Other guests
included former CALD Interim Chair and head of the Sri Lankan
peace secretariat, Dr. Rajiva Wijesinha of the Liberal Party;
Liberal International Vice President and former CALD Secretary
General Hon. Bi-Khim Hsiao, MP, of the Democratic Progressive
Party of Taiwan; CALD Women’s Caucus head, former MP, Henedina
Abad of the Liberal Party (Phils.); former Thai Ambassador to
the United States and the United Nations, H.E. Kasit Piromya of
the Democrat Party; Hon. Ruffino Biazon, MP, of the Liberal
Party of the Philippines;
Also in
attendance were Mr. Hubertus von Welck, FNF Regional Director
for East and South East Asia Office and Mr. Siegfried Herzog,
Resident Representative of the FNF Philippine Office.
Other guests
included Dr. Carina Chotiware of the Chulalongkorn University,
former CALD intern Matt Sherwin of Yale University, and Atty.
Gladys Nebab-Zamora.
The tribute
started with a multi-media presentation on the life and work of
Mr. Coronel at CALD, which was produced and presented by CALD
Program Officers, Messrs. Paolo Zamora and Carlo Religioso. Mr.
Coronel was appointed CALD Program Officer in January, 1999 and
assumed the post as the first Executive Director of CALD’s
Permanent Secretariat in November, 1999.
A Plaque of
Appreciation was awarded to Mr. Coronel. The plaque read:
Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats expresses its deep
appreciation to John Joseph S. Coronel in recognition of his
exemplaty performance and dedicated service as Executive
Director from January, 199 to October 2007 and for his
invaluable contributions and for his dev
The plaque
was signed by incumbent CALD Chairman, Hon. Franklin Drilon,
immediate past President of the Philippine Senate and former
CALD chairmen, Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, Prince
Sukhumbhand Paribatra, former Thai Deputy Foreign Minister and
MP; Hon. Sam Rainsy, MP; Dr. Rajiva Wijesinha, former Philippine
Education Secretary, Florencio “Butch” Abad; and former Thai
Foreign Minister and Secretary General-Designate of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Dr. Surin
Pitsuwan.
Please click
here for the text of testimonials
given and the response of Mr. Coronel. |
