MANILA: Cambodia has named a career woman diplomat to replace its ambassador to the Philippines who accused Manila of playing “dirty politics” in its maritime dispute with China on the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, according to a top Philippine government official.

Secretary Albert del Rosario of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that the Cambodian foreign ministry has officially informed Manila it was appointing Tuot Panha as its next ambassador to the Philippines.

Tuot, identified by Cambodian media as a career diplomat holding the rank of undersecretary of state, is to replace Hos Sereythonh as the country’s next ambassador to the Philippines.

Hos and his family left the Philippines on Friday, cutting short his tour of duty ahead of schedule after the DFA protested his comments regarding the Philippine stand on its maritime standoff  with China at the foreign ministers meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) hosted by Phnom Penh in July.