Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. mourned the passing of Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairman Jose Luis Martin “Chito” Gascon, remembering him as a "cool guy" who never really wanted to be under the spotlight.
Gascon died on Saturday morning, October 9, due to coronavirus (COVID-19) complications. He was 57.
In a series of tweets, Locsin lamented that his friendship with Gascon did not last long.
"We became friends too short; just when we had pulled it off... Why did you have to get yourself infected, my friend?" he said.
"Rest In Peace, you've earned it very well," he added.
Locsin started working with Gascon along with Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra and United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzalez on the UN Joint Program: Technical Cooperation and Capacity-building for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Philippines that was launched in July this year.
According to the country's top diplomat, was a great loss to the human rights community in the Philippines.
"Irreplaceable loss. The guy was cool, it was never about him, him, him, and him but about human rights, human rights, human rights," he said.
Locsin remembered Gascon as someone who was "never frazzled."
"The guy was cool. Never frazzled, unlike some people we know," he said.
"Never wanted the limelight; never whined although by the looks of it he had dined a lot. And he had a wry and dry sense of humor that never failed him," he added.
Gascon was appointed to lead the CHR in 2015. The CHR will continue to function with Commissioner Karen Gomez Dumpit as the officer-in-charge.