JEDDAH, 5 September 2005 — Retired Admiral Romulo M. Espaldon, who last served as Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, has succumbed to colon cancer, the Philippine Embassy said yesterday. He was 79.
Ambassador Bahnarim A. Guinomla said the embassy received the sad news on Saturday from the Department of Foreign Affairs that Espaldon died on Aug. 27.
The DFA said Espaldon was interred on Saturday at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani (Heroes Cemetery) in suburban Makati.
“People whose lives the late ambassador touched will long remember him for his compassion, kindness and humility,” said Guinomla, who was consul general in Jeddah when Espaldon was ambassador in Riyadh in the 90s.
The two diplomats had a chance to work together, with Guinomla representing Espaldon then as director of the International Philippine School in Jeddah (IPSJ).
Espaldon was the son of Bicolano teachers who were among those who took up the government challenge for volunteers to serve in the remotest places in the Philippines in the early part of the 20th century.
The couple chose to serve in Tawi-Tawi, the southernmost province of the Philippines, and never left the place. One of their children was Romulo Espaldon, who would later become a representative of Tawi-Tawi in the House of Representatives.
Espaldon joined the Armed Forces of the Philippine in 1941 just before World War II broke out in the Pacific area.
During the long war, in which Japanese imperial forces occupied the Philippines from 1942 to 1945, Espaldon received various awards.
He also received the Officer of the Legion d’Honneur from the French Government and the Bintang Yudha Dharma Pertama from the Indonesian government.
His career was highlighted by his exemplary service, being the first naval officer to be promoted to the rank of rear admiral (equivalent of major general in the army) in the Philippine Navy in 1975, the deputy chief of staff of the AFP and the first commander of the military’s Southern Command in Mindanao in 1976 at the height of the rebellion in the region.
After retiring from military service, he became the first governor of Tawi-Tawi and Basilan provinces and assumed several other positions in government.
The official website of the provincial government of Basilan province (http://www.basilan.gov.ph/evolution.html), where Espaldon served as military governor in the 70s, described him as “a tactful and able administrator, he was respected by Muslim and Christian alike.”
He joined the foreign service in 1984 when he was appointed as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Egypt and Sudan.
In 1994, Espaldon assumed his post as ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Yemen until 1998.
In 1995, he was awarded the highest and toughest achievement award conferred by the United States Merchant Marine Academy during its 1995 homecoming, the Hall of Distinguished Graduate Award. The distinguished award has, so far, been granted to only three, according to embassy’s press statement.
In accepting the award, he stressed that “the event marked the most memorable day of his life-long efforts at living in God’s way and in the service of his fellowmen.”
During his stint as envoy to Riyadh, Espaldon often reminded embassy personnel that one of their primary objectives was to serve and protect Overseas Filipino Workers, a mission institutionalized by then President Fidel Ramos when he assumed office in 1993.
While he grew up in a Muslim community, Espaldon became a Muslim only after spending most of his military career fighting Moros seeking independence.
A brother of his, in an interview published some years ago, said his family knew early on that the former warrior and diplomat was going to embrace Islam and that they were happy for his decision.
