ONE WOULD have thought the Philippines was at war on seeing the country’s flag at a meeting in New York between US President Barack Obama and Southeast Asian leaders, including President Benigno Aquino III.
Photos of the working lunch hosted on Friday (US time) by Obama for Mr. Aquino and the other leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) showed the flag hanging from a pole in an inverted position: The red field was atop the blue.
It suggested a country in a state of war.
The flag was almost directly behind Mr. Aquino, who was seated next to the US president.
Section 10 of Republic Act No. 8491—the “Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines”—states: “The flag, if flown from a flagpole, shall have its blue field on top in time of peace and the red field on top in time of war; if in a hanging position, the blue field shall be to the right (left of the observer) in time of peace, and the red field to the right (left of the observer) in time of war.”
The US-ASEAN meeting was held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly that is attended annually by world leaders.
“This is perhaps a case of honest mistake of protocol officers,” Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ed Malaya said on the phone. So who could be behind the blunder? A DFA source pointed out that the host of the summit was the United States, which was “supposed to make arrangements in coordination with ASEAN officials.” US Embassy spokesperson Rebecca Thompson also described the incident as “an honest mistake.” Philippine officials had some consolation: The Philippine flag, as shown in the flag plate just in front of Mr. Aquino in that very same meeting, was displayed properly.
Source : http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100927-294518/RP-flag-inverted-inadvertently
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