Palace condoles with Czechs on Havel passing | Global News

Palace condoles with Czechs on Havel passing

A guard of honor stands next to a portrait of former Czech President Vaclav Havel at the Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011. Havel, the dissident playwright who wove theater into politics to peacefully bring down communism in Czechoslovakia and become a hero of the epic struggle that ended the Cold War, died Sunday in Prague. He was 75. AP PHOTO/PETR DAVID JOSEK

Malacañang on Monday joined the rest of the world in condoling with  the Czech Republic following the death of its former president, Vaclav Havel, on Sunday.

“We mourn the loss of Mr. Vaclav Havel and we offer our condolences to the Czech people on his passing,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.

Article continues after this advertisement

Lacierda hailed Havel, a dissident playwright in the 1970s, for being “a shining light in the fight against communism.”

FEATURED STORIES

“He was able to provide leadership during those troubled times and he was able to shepherd the Czech Republic,” Lacierda said.

Havel presided over then Czechoslovakia’s transition to democracy and a free market economy. He also oversaw Czechoslovakia’s peaceful split in 1993 into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Article continues after this advertisement

On April 4, 1995, Havel and his wife, Olga, came to the Philippines for a four-day visit.

Article continues after this advertisement

Havel met with then President Fidel V. Ramos and other key Edsa People Power personalities, such as Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin and former President Corazon Aquino.

Article continues after this advertisement

Havel also attended a staging of his 1965 play, “The Memorandum,” a satire on bureaucratic gibberish, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

In a press conference after the  play, he addressed Filipino writers and intellectuals, telling them that they “should not fear to enter politics.” With  Lawrence de Guzman, Inquirer Research

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: Czech Republic, Foreign affairs, Government, International relations, Vaclav Havel

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.