By Eugene Uy June 12, 2020 Former Secretary of Foreign Affairs Perfecto Yasay Jr. MANILA, Philippines – Former Secretary of Foreign Affa...
June 12, 2020
MANILA, Philippines – Former Secretary of Foreign Affairs Perfecto Yasay Jr. passed away at the age of 73, his wife confirmed last Friday.
In a recent Facebook post, Cecille Yasay said her husband passed away at exactly 7:26 a.m. on Friday due to severe pneumonia.
Perfecto Yasay succumbed to cancer and the pneumonia was a complication of the disease. Meanwhile, his son said that it is not because of the deadly corona virus.
He was a lawyer and personally appointed by Pres. Rodrigo Duterte as DFA Secretary, the latter met him because they lived in the same dormitory when they were both taking up law.
The appointment became a subject of critic and media attention since he has no known diplomatic experience, he found himself at the center of events when the United Nations arbitration court issued a landmark ruling on the Philippines’ dispute with China in the South China Sea.
On the other hand, Yasay said “if China would say, ‘Let’s open bilateral talks,’ we will pursue that, but, we will never give up our claim.”
In 1995, Yasay was appointed as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) until 2000 serving two Presidents, Ramos and Estrada. After sixteen years, he was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and in 2017, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano replaced him due to the rejection of Commission on Appointments over concerns about his citizenship. He was given a US citizenship and passport in the year 1986 and renounced his citizenship in February 2017.
The Commission on Appointment denied his request because during the time that he was appointed by Pres. Duterte he was technically still a US citizen.
Teddy Locsin Jr. said it was actually Yasay who recommended him for his job in the United Nations.
“He hurt no one and helped everyone he could. He did what many fighting tyranny had to: shield themselves with US law,” Locsin said in his tweeter account.
Meanwhile, the current and previous government officials expressed their own condolences to the bereaved family of Yasay.
No comments