SEN. Risa Hontiveros has filed a resolution asking the Senate to honor the late former Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario for his vital role in helping the Philippines secure a landmark victory in its maritime dispute with China.  

It was under Del Rosario’s watch that the Philippines brought Beijing before the Permanent Court of Arbitration and successfully challenged its sweeping claim over the South China Sea, which included waters under the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. 

The tribunal ruled that there was no basis to China’s historic claim over the resource-rich area. 

In Resolution No. 572, Hontiveros described del Rosario as a “consummate and hands-on diplomat, mild-mannered but firm,” who represented the country internationally with “utmost grace, honor and dignity.” 

She also highlighted del Rosario’s relentlessness in defending the country’s national interest, his efforts to address the issues of distressed Filipino migrant workers, and his defense of the country’s security interest against foreign aggression. 

“Del Rosario will be remembered most for being at the helm of the Philippine victory in the Hague, where the 2016 Arbitral Award by the Permanent Court of Arbitration reaffirmed our legitimate rights in the West Philippine Sea and asserted baseline principles of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” she said. 

Hontiveros also said the Hague ruling shows the world that a country like the Philippines can “assert and protect its rights over its territory and resources, even in the face of conflicting claims from a global giant like China.” 

Quoting retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, the senator said del Rosario has given Filipinos “the largest award of the global commons in the history of UNCLOS.”

She likewise lauded del Rosario’s “untarnished integrity and moral certitude, even refusing an order from an incumbent head of state because it compromised his principles.” 

On Tuesday, the DFA announced the passing of its former chief while he was en route to San Francisco. He was 83. He is survived by his wife Gretchen del Rosario and his children. 

Del Rosario’s distinguished career

For most of his life, Del Rosario had a stellar career in public service. He was the Foreign Affairs secretary from 2011 to 2016 during the term of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

Prior to his stint at the DFA, he served as Philippine Ambassador to the United States under former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Del Rosario also had extensive experience in the private sector as a well-accomplished businessman. He graduated from New York University with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

Hague ruling 

Under his term, the Philippines filed a case against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2013. The international court’s decision favoring the country was released months after del Rosario’s resignation from the DFA in March 2016. 

But even after he stepped down, he continued participating in discussions about the West Philippine Sea, even criticizing the foreign policy of then President Rodrigo Duterte. 

Del Rosario said Duterte left a “shameful legacy” for shelving the arbitral award in exchange for Chinese investments.