Former top Philippine envoy Del Rosario dies 

ALBERT F. DEL ROSARIO, the former top Philippine envoy who led a key role in getting a United Nations-based tribunal to void China’s claim to more than 80% of the South China Sea in 2016, has died. He was 83.

The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), where he was a member for 45 years, announced his passing on Tuesday.

“Ambassador Del Rosario will forever be remembered for being a paragon of statesmanship and management excellence for nation-building, and for his overwhelming love of country,” it said in a statement. “​We indeed lost an extraordinary leader, an exemplary public servant and a genuine patriot.”

“I join the entire nation in mourning the passing of former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, an honorable diplomat and an esteemed public servant,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said in a statement.

“I extend my deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of Secretary Del Rosario, who was known for his patriotism and integrity. We thank his deep commitment to our national interest and his unwavering devotion to our shared values,” he added.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo also extended his condolences to Mr. Del Rosario’s family.

“He was a consummate diplomat and an inspiring leader who led the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) with integrity and unwavering commitment to public service,” he said on social media. “You will be missed, Mr. Secretary.”

Mr. Del Rosario was born in Manila on Nov. 14, 1939 to Luis del Rosario and Amparo Ferreros. His great grandmother Teresa Sempio was a sister of Felipa Sempio, the mother of Filipino hero Gregorio del Pilar.

He graduated from Xavier High School in New York and later attended college at New York University, graduating with a degree in Economics.

Mr. Del Rosario served as Philippine ambassador to the US under then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from 2001 to 2006 before being appointed Foreign Affairs secretary by ex-President Benigno S.C. Aquino III.

In May 2012, he called on the US to supply the Philippines with naval patrol vessels, aircraft, advanced radar systems and coastal surveillance facilities to keep the country’s sovereignty against Chinese claims in the South China Sea. 

On March 30, 2014, the Philippines submitted its memorial to the arbitral court in the Hague seeking to void China’s expansive claim in the South China Sea. It was the first time an international court ruled on China’s claim, which was based on a 1940s nine-dash line map.

“With firm conviction, the ultimate purpose of the memorial is our national interest,” Mr. del Rosario once said, referring to the Philippine pleading.

“It is about defending what is legitimately ours. It is about securing our children’s future. It is about guaranteeing freedom of navigation for all nations. It is about helping to preserve regional peace, security and stability. And finally, it is about seeking not just any kind of resolution but a just and durable solution grounded in International Law.”

The former top envoy on July 7, 2015 appeared before the tribunal to present “why the Philippines brought this case to arbitration and its importance to the region and the world.”

Mr. Del Rosario stepped down as Foreign Affairs secretary in March 2016, almost four months before the end of Mr. Aquino’s term, citing health reasons.

“We were privileged to have him as a Cabinet colleague who always challenged us to be tireless in the fulfillment of duty, unyielding in the defense of the national interest, gentlemanly in all aspects of private and public conduct, and unflinching in seeking to bring aid and assistance to our fellow citizens in danger areas,” his fellow Cabinet members under the Aquino government said in a statement.

“He was much older than most of us but acted younger than most in his zest for life and tirelessness in his official duties… The West Philippine Sea always being Filipino is his legacy; one we are committed to uphold with the same patriotic spirit Albert demonstrated in his years as secretary of Foreign Affairs,” they added. — Norman P. Aquino