|
Philippine Ambassador to Israel
Antonio Modena died in a Pasig City hospital from pneumonia and
heart complications Saturday morning, ABS-CBN reported. He was 58.
Earlier
reports said Modena was suffering from cancer.
Modena
returned to the Philippines on vacation in December. He fell ill in
early January and was confined at the intensive care unit of The
Medical City in Pasig.
He was moved
to a private room but last Friday his condition worsened and he had
to be returned to the ICU.
Modena’s
daughter, Aurora, said just before he died he was in high spirits
and was even playing with his grandchild. His wife, Charity, said he
had many plans for the Filipino community in Israel.
His body lies
at the Funeraria Paz on Araneta Avenue in Quezon City. Cremation has
been scheduled on Saturday or Sunday.
In 2005 Modena
helped evacuate Filipino workers in Haifa, Israel, during the height
of the war between the Israeli army and the Hezbollah in Southern
Lebanon last year.
He was almost
thrown out of Israel after he described as “Nazi-like” the
treatment of foreign workers by the Israeli immigration police.
Modena issued
a public apology for his choice of words but not for his sentiments
as he had vowed to carry on his crusade against the maltreatment and
discrimination of Filipino workers.
Modena’s
diplomatic career began in 1983 when he passed the Foreign Service
Officer examination. He was named a director of the Department of
Foreign Affairs’ public information services, a post he held until
1986.
In 1991 Modena
became director of European Affairs, and in 2002 was named executive
director in charge of Asia Pacific Affairs.
He was first
assigned abroad by the late Foreign Secretary Blas Ople who, in
1995, nominated him as minister and consul general of the Philippine
Embassy to Paris. He held that post until 2002 when he was named
ambassador to Israel.
Last year Tel
Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai awarded him a “Certificate of Honor” in
recognition of his efforts to bring overseas Filipino workers and
Israelis closer together through the spirit of volunteerism.
That same
year, Modena was one of 28 members of the Lebanon-Israel crisis team
that was given presidential citations by President Arroyo for
“unprecedented assistance and cooperation to the successful
evacuation of Filipinos based in Lebanon and East Timor.”
|
