President Marcos has named Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations Enrique Manalo as his secretary of foreign affairs, high-ranking sources told Business Mirror.
He flew from New York and took his oath in Malacañang this morning (Friday), to take over the post vacated by Teodoro Locsin Jr.
Manalo, 69, rose from the ranks of foreign service and retired in 2018. He was appointed acting foreign affairs secretary in 2017 by President Duterte after then the appointment of Perfecto Yasay as DFA secretary was rejected by the Commission on Appointment. His short tenure as acting DFA secretary earned him the Order of Lakandula with the rank of Gold Cross, one of the highest civilian orders in the country.
Duterte later named him as Philippine ambassador in Germany and then at the UN in New York in 2020.
He came from a family of diplomats — being a son of the late former Ambassador Armando Manalo and stepson of Ambassador Rosario Manalo who both served in the administration of former President Ferdinand Marcos.