NAKIISA si Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa sambayanang Pilipino sa pakikiramay sa pagpanaw ni dating Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario.

“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,” ayon kay Pangulong Marcos.
“We thank his deep commitment to our national interest and his unwavering devotion to our shared values,” ayon sa Pangulo.

Kinumpirma ni Dr. Inge del Rosario ang pagpanaw ng 83-anyos na ama.

Ikinalungkot din ng mga lider ng mababang kapulungan ng Kongreso ang pagpanaw ni del Rosario na isang mahusay na lider ng bansa.

“Our country has just lost a consummate diplomat, a humble and conscientious public servant and civilian, and a staunch and passionate defender of national sovereignty,” ani House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Malaki aniya ang naging papel ni Del Rosario sa pagdepensa sa teritoryo ng Pilipinas sa West Philippine Sea (WPS) noong panahon ni dating Pangulong Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

Isa siya sa nagsulong sa kaso laban sa China sa United Nations- Permanent Court of Arbitration kung saan idineklara na ang mga teritoryong inaangkin ng nasabing bansa ay pag-aari ng Pilipinas.
“Our thoughts and prayers go to his loved ones, friends, associates, colleagues in government, and most especially to his family, at this most difficult time,” pakikiramay pa ni Romualdez.

“There was no better advocate of Philippine interest, no braver defender of our OFWs, no bolder champion of our sovereignty than him when he was the Republic’s top diplomat,” pahayag naman ni Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto.

Ayon sa mambabatas, kilala ring mapagkumbaba si Del Rosario at nirerespeto, hindi lamang sa Pilipinas kundi maging ng mga kapwa nito diplomat sa apat na sulok ng mundo.

“I have known Secretary Del Rosario as a true champion of our democracy and sovereignty having been one of one of the prime movers of our bid to secure the position of the UNCLOS in relation to our claims in the West Philippine Sea. While we have differed on many national issues, I have always admired Secretary Del Rosario for being a genuine statesman and a true Filipino patriot,” ayon naman kay House majority leader Manuel Jose Dalipe.

Naging Philippine Ambassador to the United States si del Rosario mula noong 2001 hanggang 2006.
Nagpaabot din ng pakikiramay si Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo. (CHRISTIAN DALE/BERNARD TAGUINOD)