Who is he?

Marciano Paynor, Jr. currently serves under Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte as chief protocol officer of Malacañang Palace. He held the same post under former presidents Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Fidel Ramos. In 2015, Paynor led the National Organizing Committee of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the Philippines.

In earlier positions as a diplomat, Paynor was a consul general in Gabon, Hungary, Italy, Israel, and Cyprus., in addition to stints in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Prior to joining the Philippine Foreign Service, Paynor worked at the Philippine Trade Office in Chicago as a market analyst. A 1971 graduate from the Philippine Military Academy, Paynor left the military in 1983 as a lieutenant colonel.

Why is he in the news?

President Duterte on August 29 appointed Paynor as the new ambassador of the Philippines to the United States. If his appointment is approved, Paynor will succeed Ambassador Jose Cuisa, Jr., who held the position from 2011 until July 2016.

What can we expect from him?

A seasoned diplomat, Paynor will bring knowledge and experience in foreign relations to his tenure as ambassador. His military background will likely be a boon to defense officials looking to implement the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the Philippines and the United States that was signed in 2014 and passed judicial review in the Philippines in January 2016.

Widely known in Manila for his humility, Paynor will be an asset in smoothing out any ruffles in the U.S.-Philippine relationship, a growing concern after inflammatory remarks by Duterte led to the cancellation of a meeting with President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Laos in early September. As regional powers question the future of the U.S. rebalance to Asia in a post-Obama presidency, Paynor’s history of diplomatic success in the United States will help guide the relationship.