Mariano Rajoy's former cabinet chief, Jorge Moragas, who is now Spain's permanent representative to the UN, will next be nominated ambassador to the Philippines, according to diplomatic sources.
Moragas, who arrived in New York in January, will remain in his post at the UN for a few more weeks, possibly until September, until the Philippines government gives its blessing.
Moragas headed to the UN after leaving his role as Rajoy's cabinet chief when it emerged he was implicated in the Operation Catalonia controversy, an offensive against the independence process pushed by the Spanish police forces.