PHL envoy in Pakistan chopper crash, a seasoned diplomat

Ambassador Domingo Lucenario Jr., who was killed in a helicopter crash in Pakistan on Friday, has left behind an impressive legacy as a career diplomat, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Lucenario, a career ambassador who served the government for 35 years, held the rare distinction of being the only career diplomat awarded with three major Presidential Awards:

-- the Order of Sikatuna Award with the rank of Datu (Gold level), which was given to him in 2009;
-- the Order of Lakandula Award with the rank of Grand Officer (Maringal na Pinuno), given in 2008; and
-- the Gawad Mabini Award with the rank of Grand Officer (Dakilang Kamanong), given in 2008.

Prior to this appointment to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Lucenario, who was 54 years old, was the Philippine Ambassador to Kenya, Burundi, Comoros, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Uganda, Somalia and Tanzania, a post he held from 2009 to early 2013.

While in Kenya, he also served as Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN Habitat).

During the early part of his diplomatic career, Lucenario served as Vice Consul/Legal Officer at the Philippine Consulate General in Hamburg, Germany (1986-1990); as Officer-in Charge/Third Secretary and Vice Consul at the Philippine Embassy, Berlin Office, Germany (1990-1992); as First Secretary and Consul at the Philippine Embassy in Canberra, Australia (1996-2000); and as Consul at the Philippine Consulate In Hong Kong SAR (2000-2004).

Additionally, he served as the Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs and concurrently as chairman of the National Committee on Illegal Entrants at the Department of Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2009.

Lucenario, a lawyer, passed the Bar in 1984 after earning a Bachelor of Laws (Ll.B) from San Beda College. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in A.B. Political Science from the Manuel L. Quezon University and a Master of Laws (Ll.M) from the University of Manila.

He also received a Diploma in International Relations from the Deutche Stiftung fur Internationale Entwicklung (DSE) in Berlin and hopes to add a Doctorate degree in Civil Law (D.C.L.) at the University of Santo Tomas (UST).

Lucenario was born on September 3, 1960 in Manila. He is married to lawyer Nida Arada Lucenario, with whom he has three children. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News