Del Rosario formally steps down as DFA chief

After five years, Philippines' top diplomat, Albert del Rosario, is stepping down as Foreign Affairs Secretary.

Del Rosario, 76, resigned from his post due to a spinal problem in the last two years, a debilitating condition, which has worsened in recent months. His resignation takes effect Monday, March 7.
     
President Benigno Aquino III has yet to name his replacement, although Del Rosario has recommended one of his deputies, seasoned career diplomat and Undersecretary for Economic Relations Laura del Rosario, to take over the post as acting Secretary.

The two are not related.

Aquino earlier said he was considering four people for the top DFA post.

"Ngayon, problema nun, two of the four are in very sensitive positioins right now at naalala mo 'yung you cannot strengthen one area without weakening the other area. I'd rather not weaken the areas that are very critical," Aquino said during an interview during his working visit to Los Angeles, California in February.

At the time, Aquino admitted he has yet to talk to the four. 

24th DFA chief

Del Rosario, the 24th Philippine Foreign Secretary, spearheaded the filing of a landmark Philippine government arbitration case that challenged the validity of China's sprawling territorial claims in the South China Sea and sought to clarify the territorial entitlements of certain Chinese-occupied features under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas, or UNCLOS.

Relations between Manila and Beijing plunged to its lowest when the Philippines sought arbitration in January 2013.
     
With his advocacy for a rules-based solution based on international laws on the South China Sea and other issues, Del Rosario emerged as a key and outspoken leader in the ASEAN, where some of his counterparts have traditionally taken conservative and safe but ineffective policy positions.
    
His views did not sit well with Beijing officials and Del Rosario has often been the subject of criticisms in the Chinese media.
     
Del Rosario, who helped resolve many national crises, including the massive repatriation of Filipino workers overseas and the escalating territorial conflicts in the South China Sea - said he expects relations with China to march on despite differences and conflicts.
    
With his departure as Foreign Secretary, a post he has held since February 2011, Del Rosario said he hopes that a constructive engagement with China, one that is mutually beneficial to the two Asian neighbors, would continue without compromising national interest.
    
Known as a "hands-on and hard-working diplomat," Del Rosario thanked the President for his trust and confidence when he appointed him as DFA chief.
    
Leaving the department, he said, will be an opportunity for him to spend time with his family, pursue good health and to return to the private sector.
    
“When I first met President Aquino, His Excellency stated that he had called for me because I was a fighter for democracy. In truth, I simply want to be remembered as a patriot,” Del Rosario said. — RSJ, GMA News