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Former DFA chief Bobby Romulo passes away

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Former Philippine Foreign Secretary Roberto Romulo answers questions from journalists at Malacanang Palace. Romeo Gacad, AFP/file" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/01/24/19950417-roberto-romulo-afp2001010954939.jpg"/><figcaption>Former Philippine Foreign Secretary Roberto Romulo answers questions from journalists at Malacanang Palace. Romeo Gacad, AFP/file</figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA (UPDATE) — Former Foreign Secretary Roberto &quot;Bobby&quot; Romulo has passed away at age 83, his office confirmed on Monday.</p><p>Romulo died on Sunday, according to his office, which did not elaborate on the cause of his death.</p><p>&quot;The schedule of masses and novena prayers will soon be announced at www.romulofoundation.org,&quot; it said.</p><p>Reacting on Twitter on the news about Romulo&#x27;s passing, Foreign Sec. Teodoro Locsin, Jr. said, &quot;The best are leaving.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I relied a great deal on his judgment &amp; understanding of the dynamics of the job he held with so much distinction in a really tough time—we&#x27;d just rejected the renewal of the US bases and the Cold War&#x27;s end diminished our value to near nothing in the eyes of the total victor,&quot; Locsin said of Romulo who took the helm of the Department of Foreign Affairs from 1992 until 1995.</p><p>&quot;Goodbye my friend; wish you&#x27;d waited till after we saw see other again face to face,&quot; he added.</p><p>According to the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation, Romulo joined government service in June 1989 when he was appointed Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the Commission of the European Communities. </p><p>Months before he died, Romulo criticized President Rodrigo Duterte for &quot;squandering the weight of global public opinion in the Philippines&#x27; favor following the ruling of the UN arbitration court invalidating China’s claim on the South China Sea by meekly standing by.&quot;</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/01/24/20220124-roberto-romulo.jpg" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/01/24/20220124-roberto-romulo.jpg"/></figure></div><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/blogs/opinions/07/12/21/roberto-romulo-appeal-2022-elections">Bobby Romulo’s urgent appeal goes viral</a></li></ul><p>RELATED VIDEO</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bC5OS9sUqiQ?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Roberto 'Bobby' Romulo has passed away at age 84, his office confirmed on Monday.