PMA alum, former Navy officer is DFA’s new spokesperson for maritime affairs

As he waits to be introduced to a room full of journalists, Rogelio Villanueva Jr. stands at attention on the sidelines of an undecorated hall inside the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) headquarters in Pasay City. “Effective diplomacy has also opened pathways for cooperation in critical areas from coast guard communications to ocean meteorology, all aimed at regional peace, stability, and prosperity,” said Villanueva, the first ever DFA spokesperson for maritime affairs. Villanueva is deputy assitant secretary of the DFA Maritime and Oceans Affairs Office (MOAO), a unit that handles maritime issues, including the West Philippine Sea. His new role…