MANILA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos has named Foreign Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro as the new foreign secretary, the country's Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said Friday.
Bersamin said Lazaro, a 71-year-old career diplomat, will assume the role of Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on July 31.
Lazaro will replace current DFA chief Enrique Manalo, who will be the country's permanent representative to the United Nations.
Manalo is among the cabinet members Marcos removed from posts amid an ongoing reshuffle to recalibrate the Marcos team.
Bersamin said that 52 officials had tendered their resignations since Thursday when the Presidential Communications Office said Marcos had ordered all cabinet secretaries to submit a "courtesy resignation" after the poor showing of the administration candidates in the May 12 midterm elections. ■
