Who is he?

Perfecto Yasay Jr. is a lawyer who has practiced in both the Philippines and the United States, and most recently taught at the Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii. He ran for vice president under the Bangon Pilipinas party in the 2010 Philippine elections. In 1993, he was appointed associate commissioner for the Securities and Exchange Commission by then-president Fidel V. Ramos, and went on to serve as chairman from 1995 to 2000. Yasay hails from Mindanao, and was roommates with president-elect Rodrigo Duterte during law school.

Why is he in the news?

Yasay on May 18 accepted Duterte’s offer to be acting secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). While Duterte promised the DFA portfolio to his running mate Senator Alan Cayetano, election rules prevent a losing candidate from taking a post in government for one year. Yasay will preside over the DFA as the Philippines seeks to mend its relations with China in the wake of the Permanent Court of Arbitration decision on maritime disputes in the South China Sea expected in the next few weeks.

What can we expect from him?

Duterte and Yasay have expressed interest in resuming bilateral talks with China over the South China Sea disputes, an announcement warmly welcomed by China’s Foreign Ministry. However, Yasay later clarified that the Philippines will not pursue talks until after the arbitration ruling, suggesting a pragmatic attempt to balance Philippines sovereignty and diplomatic engagement with China.

Yasay will channel the same pragmatism towards U.S.-Philippines relations. Echoing Duterte’s declaration that the Philippines will not rely on Washington, Yasay said that the Philippines would not be a lackey of any nation. But he added that the Philippines would continue to honor its existing treaties with the United States, including the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, and that the friendship between the two countries would not be affected by the leadership transition.