Former Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay has died.
He was 73.
The news was shared by his wife, Cecile Joaquin Yasay, in a post on Facebook. “My husband, my partner, my best friend – left us today at 7:26 a.m. due to pneumonia caused by the recurrence of his cancer, not COVID. Jun Yasay, you are loved. We will miss you lots,” she wrote.
Yasay served as Foreign Secretary from June 30, 2016, until March 8, 2017, when his appointment was rejected by the Commission on Appointments because of questions related to his citizenship. Prior to that, he also served as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from 1995 to 2000.
Yasay was born in North Cotabato and completed his secondary education in Davao. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in political science at Central Philippine University in Iloilo, and then went on to obtain a law degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law in 1972. He became a member of the New York bar aside from practicing in the Philippines.
