Ex-ambassador Rodolfo Severino Jr. passes away at 82

Credit to Author: jvicente| Date: Sat, 20 Apr 2019 03:13:25 +0000

MANILA, Philippines — Former Ambassador Rodolfo Severino Jr. dies at the age of 82 on Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Saturday.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announces with deep sorrow the demise of Ambassador Rodolfo Severino Jr.,” the department said in a statement.

In his life as public servant, Severino served as the country’s envoy to Malaysia, as Consul General to Houston, and held diplomatic posts in Washington, D.C. and Beijing.

According to the DFA, Severino also became the Asean secretary-general from 1998 to 2002 – the second Filipino to have earned that distinction.

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Apart from this, Severino also wrote a number of books such as “Southeast Asia: In search of an ASEAN community” (2006), “ASEAN” (2008), “The ASEAN Regional Forum” (2009), “Where in the World is the Philippines?” (2010), and was also co-editor of “Whither the Philippines in the 21st Century?” (2007), among many other works.

The passing of Severino was also confirmed by his son, media personality Howie Severino, in a Facebook post late Friday night.

According to the younger Severino, his father passed away after he sang “Some Enchanted Evening” to the former ambassador

Some Enchanted EveningI rushed back to Manila tonight to be with my father. His breathing was difficult, his blood…

Posted by Howie Severino on Friday, April 19, 2019

“I rushed back to Manila tonight to be with my father. His breathing was difficult, his blood pressure low and erratic. He was barely responsive. My son and I told him stories about some of our best times with him. Then I asked if he wanted to listen to music. He grunted what sounded like a spark of joy,” Howie said.

“I searched for a favorite from his Ateneo Glee Club days, ‘Some Enchanted Evening.’ Without meaning to, I played the opera version of the Broadway hit; apropos because Dad was a great opera fan. I grew up listening to it and even mimicking it. I sang along softly in my pathetic tenor. Soon after the song ended, he stopped breathing and he was gone,” he added.

The wake will be held at the Heritage in Taguig City, starting Sunday afternoon, April 21, after the cremation. /jpv

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