The Philippine government on Sunday joined the international community in mourning to the passing of United States Sen. John McCain, said that the country lost “a true friend and champion.”
“We deeply mourn the death of Sen. John McCain, a true friend of the Philippines and one of our champions in the United States Congress,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement.
“The Filipino people extend their deepest condolences to Senator McCain’s family and to the people of the United States of America,” Cayetano added.
McCain, an 81-year-old Republican legislator, died on Saturday night in Arizona after a yearlong battle with brain cancer.
READ: Presidents, lawmakers honor McCain’s life of service
Cayetano said that the country would remember McCain as someone who turned America’s commitment into actions and for “playing a vital role in keeping our alliance strong and capable to address current strategic challenges.”
Cayetano added that McCain’s support towards the Mindanao peace process showed the legislator’s “humanitarian spirit” and dedication to attain peace and justice.
He also recalled the time when the Arizona legislator took time to fly to the Philippines in order to discuss how to strengthen the partnership of Manila and Washington in order to address security issues such as drug trafficking and violent extremism.
McCain had also shared with Cayetano that his father and grandfather were witness to and became part of Philippine history.
“Senator McCain told us his grandfather served in the Philippines during the American Occupation and the Second World War while his father, who became a Navy admiral, also saw action in the Philippines and was a recipient of our Legion of Honor,” Cayetano said. /je