Former Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario was paid a final tribute by current and former officials, as well as staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Del Rosario died while en route to the US on 18 April. The DFA led a mass on 24 April, whilst colleagues paid their respects to the late diplomat in a private event. Former Philippine interior secretary Manuel Roxas II reflected that Del Rosario was a man of few words, but his words carried weight. He praised Del Rosario’s patriotism in fighting for the Philippines’ claims in the West Philippine Sea. Senator Loren Legarda expressed that Del Rosario was a “true gentleman”.
