Roberto Romulo
{{Short description|Filipino diplomat}}
{{use mdy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Roberto Romulo
| image = File:Roberto Romulo (cropped).jpg
| caption = Romulo in 2019
| order =
| office = 19th Secretary of Foreign Affairs
| president = Fidel V. Ramos
| term_start = June 30, 1992
| term_end = April 30, 1995
| predecessor = Raul Manglapus
| successor = Domingo Siazon, Jr.
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1938|12|9}}
| birth_place = Manila, Philippine Commonwealth
| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|1|23|1938|12|9}}
| death_place =
| party =
| nationality = Filipino
| residence =
| alma_mater = Ateneo de Manila University
| occupation = Diplomat
| profession =
| website =
| description =
| footnotes =
| signature =
}}
Roberto "Bobby" Romulo (December 9, 1938 – January 23, 2022) was a Filipino diplomat. He was the Secretary of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs from 1992 to 1995.
Early life and education
Roberto Romulo was born on December 9, 1938, in Manila to Carlos P. Romulo and Virginia Llamas.{{cite news |last1=Lee-Brago |first1=Pia |title=Roberto Romulo, ex-DFA chief, 83 |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/01/25/2156131/roberto-romulo-ex-dfa-chief-83 |access-date=5 February 2022 |work=The Philippine Star |date=25 January 2022}}
He attended the Georgetown University of the United States where he finished his primary, secondary and college education before returning to the Philippines to study at the Ateneo de Manila University's College of Law to obtain his law degree.{{cite news |last1=Tomacruz |first1=Sofia |title=Former foreign affairs secretary Roberto Romulo dies at 83 |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/former-foreign-affairs-secretary-roberto-romulo-dies/ |access-date=5 February 2022 |work=Rappler |date=25 January 2022}}
Career
=Diplomatic career=
Romulo under the administration of President Corazon Aquino served as Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Commission of the European Communities. As a diplomat, he received various honors from Belgium, Thailand, Spain, Chile, France and the Philippines.{{cite news |last1=Tamayo |first1=Bernadette |title=Former Foreign Affairs chief Roberto Romulo dies |url=https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/01/24/news/former-foreign-affairs-chief-roberto-romulo-dies/1830430 |access-date=5 February 2022 |work=The Manila Times |date=24 January 2022 |language=en}}
He was appointed Secretary of Foreign Affairs in 1992 by President Fidel V. Ramos. As head of the Department of Foreign Affairs, he oversaw the case of Flor Contemplacion, a Filipino migrant worker in Singapore, who was sentenced to death for murder which human rights groups argued were coerced to admit to committing crime. Contemplacion's execution led to a diplomatic crisis with the city-state and Romulo's resignation as secretary on April 30, 1995.{{cite news |title=Fallout From Singapore Execution Widening In Philippines |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1995-04-18-9504180291-story.html |access-date=5 February 2022 |work=Chicago Tribune |agency=New York Times News Service |date=18 April 1995 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=A short history of Cabinet secretaries who quit, axed |url=https://www.philstar.com/news-commentary/2014/07/11/1345044/short-history-cabinet-secretaries-who-quit-axed |access-date=5 February 2022 |work=The Philippine Star |date=11 July 2014}}