Former DFA Sec. Domingo Siazon passes away

Domingo Siazon, former secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), has died after a long battle with cancer.

DFA Undersecretary Rafael Seguis confirmed Siazon’s death to GMA News Online on Wednesday.

“Sadly, Jun has passed away,” Seguis said of the 77-year-old diplomat, who died of prostate cancer on Tuesday.

A post on the Facebook account or Siazon’s son, Dan, said:  “Domingo L. Siazon, Jr. -Statesman, career diplomat, but more importantly, a loving husband, father and grandfather. 1939-2016.”

Messages of sympathies poured for the seasoned career diplomat, who served under two presidents — Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada.

Foreign Undersecretary Laura del Rosario recalled how he learned a lot from Siazon during her first posting abroad as a junior diplomat.

“My very first assignment was in Vienna where he was the ambassador. He became my first mentor in the Foreign Service, so to speak. I saw how much was required from a head of post and observed how he fulfilled those duties. He did teach me a lot,” Del Rosario said.

Siazon’s former deputy at the Foreign Office, Lauro Baja, described him as a “good boss and a good friend.”

“We worked together on a number of Philippine foreign policy initiatives. A great loss to the nation,” said Baja.

Siazon, whose diplomatic career spanned 47 years, was fluent in Japanese, German, French, Spanish, Ilokano and Filipino.

Born on July 9, 1939 in Aparri, Cagayan, Siazon was the former head of the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) from 1985 to 1993 and served as Philippine Ambassador to Tokyo from 2001 to 2005.

Siazon is survived by his wife, Kazuko, sons Dan and Ken, and grandchildren..—KG/KBK, GMA News