THE Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday approved the ad interim appointment of Raphael Lotilla as the Philippines’ ambassador to the Holy See, clearing the way for the former Cabinet secretary to return to government service in a key diplomatic role.
The CA plenary confirmed Lotilla’s nomination following the endorsement of the Committee on Foreign Affairs after deliberations earlier in the day.
Lotilla, a veteran public servant with more than two decades of experience in government, previously served as secretary of the Department of Energy and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
His new posting to the Vatican places him at the center of one of the Philippines’ most historically significant diplomatic missions, given the country’s deep ties with the Catholic Church and the Holy See’s influence in global diplomacy.
During the confirmation hearing, Lotilla emphasized the strategic importance of maintaining strong Philippine representation at the Vatican, particularly in advancing global issues aligned with the country’s foreign policy.
“These include the promotion of international law and multilateral institutions, peaceful resolution of conflicts, interfaith dialogue, migration, sustainable development, and the protection of migrant workers’ rights,” he said.
Lotilla added that he intends to continue promoting the Philippines’ diplomatic priorities at a time of heightened global tensions, including ongoing instability in the Middle East.
In the same hearing, Sen. Risa Hontiveros sought Lotilla’s advice on how the government could cushion the impact of rising oil prices linked to geopolitical conflicts.
Hontiveros noted Lotilla’s extensive experience in the energy sector, particularly during his tenure as energy secretary at the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which triggered global fuel price spikes.
Lotilla said that during the 2022 crisis, the government focused on ensuring adequate power supply and generation to mitigate the impact of higher fuel costs.
“But now this is an extraordinary case of price increases, especially in the fuel sector and the possibility of supply constraints,” he said.
He added that, in the short term, allowing price increases to pass through the economy can limit prolonged inflationary effects if the shocks are temporary.
“As much as possible, the cushion afforded by the economy will allow it to adjust to the increase in prices, and as soon as they normalize, prices can also revert,” Lotilla said.
Looking ahead, he said rising fuel prices could accelerate the country’s transition to cleaner energy.
“In the long term, this will encourage the use of renewable energy, electric vehicles, and efforts to hasten the shift to renewable sources found in the Philippines itself,” he said. “This will increase our energy security and therefore be advantageous to all of us.”
