Promised Promotion was Held Back

Question

I'm working as an offshore Senior ERP Developer with a BPO Company for over a year and I feel that I've been doing a good job, since I've always delivered my tasks on time and gotten a lot of praises for my work (with some coming from our Vice President), and always extended hours.

However, I was unhappy because of a multitude of reasons. To cite some examples:

1. I felt that I wasn't growing both professionally and technically and that my manager didn't have plans of developing me: (Manager does not develop employees).
2. I had not gotten an appraisal for the year that has passed, and didn't get an endorsement to my new Manager and Director: (My former Manager Isn't giving an Endorsement to my new Manager).
3. And even though I am under a new Manager, my old Manager kept assigning me tasks: (Former Manager still giving me tasks).

With this, I decided to look for a new job and was immediately offered an Associate Manager (AM) position with my former company ("ACN"). I handed in my resignation, but my new Manager ("RV") worked out a counter-offer: A promotion to Team Lead and slightly better compensation than the offered AM position in ACN. After some thoughtful consideration, I decided to stay because I needed the money more than the AM position.

After waiting some days, I still didn't get a formal letter or email, so I decide to write it myself, confirming my acceptance to the promotion with the salary increase, and the effective date:

Hi CC and RV, As discussed, I have reviewed the opportunity you’ve offered for me to continue working in Company A. I have decided to accept the offered salary increase of XXXX and the change of title to Development Team Lead, effective March 9, 2018. Thank you very much.

To which they responded and acknowledged via Email, thanking me of my decision to stay.

Fast forward two weeks later, March 7th, I was informed that the promotion will be delayed to March 18 due to complications in the process. Apparently, no one knows what to submit and who to submit it to and everyone is pointing fingers at one another.

My questions would be:

1. Is it ethical to delay a promised promotion?
2. Shouldn't I get retro-actively paid the salary increase since the delay was just complications in the process?
3. What can I do to assert that they should make good on their promised promotion?

I'm concerned that the same thing will happen on the 18th, until it will just be forgotten or cancelled.

Notes:

1. I'm working in the Philippines, while the BPO is primarily based in the United States.

Answer 1

1. Ethical? No. Bait and switch is not ethical. I believe you can sue them for the salary difference if they didn't pay you retroactively when the promotion gets through (see 2. below).
2. Yes. The change in the position is confirmed by the email they replied by to you. The complications in the process shouldn't delay actual promotion (If you didn't wait it out).
3. Patience. You can't force them to pay you and be happy about it if they don't want to. Everything else is just going to cause you your job and burns the bridges you have with Company A. I'd tell them I'll reconsider that AM position in ACN company if the promotion is delayed after March 18th again without clear and justifiable reason. Don't give an ultimatum(ie: Don't say:"If I don't get the promotion on March 23rd I'll quit"). Threatening management will backfire on you.

Don't expect things to run smoothly, they probably got caught off-guard and were reeling you back in for some time till they find a replacement. Bogus promises? Maybe, but not necessarily. Your resignation may have expedited your long-coming promotion.

Always act on the presumption of good intentions, but plan for the bad.

Edit:
I read your other questions. It looks like you have major issues with your current company. I'd take that AM position to get out of this environment.