Aquino on US envoy Stephen Bosworth: ‘Enduring friend of Filipinos’
“An enduring friend of the Filipino people and our democratic way of life,” was how President Benigno Aquino III described former United States Ambassador Stephen Bosworth, who passed away on January 3.
“It is with a deep sense of loss that I pay tribute to former Ambassador Stephen W. Bosworth, a man who was not only an able and honorable envoy of his country, but a man who proved to be an enduring friend of the Filipino people and our democratic way of life,” Aquino said in a statement on Thursday.
Bosworth served as the US ambassador to the Philippines from 1984 to 1987.
Aquino recalled that her mother, former President Corazon Aquino “found him to be a diplomat who went above and beyond the call of duty to understand and support the aspirations of our countrymen.”
During his stay in the Philippines, Aquino said Bosworth made the Filipinos see the true condition of the Philippines, while “actively engaging former president Ferdinand Marcos to help him realize the consequences of his administration’s actions.”
“At the most crucial moments, Ambassador Bosworth served as an active broker and advocate, one who truly contributed to the reclamation of our liberty. Through his unwavering commitment to our shared values, he earned the trust and confidence of a nation yearning to breathe free,” the President said.
After his term in the Philippines, Aquino said Bosworth remained supportive and interested in making democracy work in the country.
The President recalled that he had the opportunity to meet Bosworth during his visit to the US in September last year, which he described a “memorable engagement.”
“The Philippines has always been fortunate in having such friends abroad. I am certain that he would have welcomed the 30th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution next month,” he said.
“His passing is a reminder that the freedom we regained to the acclamation and admiration of the world is a gift that a new generation of Filipinos must carefully nurture, protect, and even expand,” he added.
On behalf of the Filipino people, Aquino extended the “deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of Ambassador Bosworth.”
