MANILA, Feb. 10 -- Ambassador Lauro Liboon Baja Jr., the country's former foreign affairs undersecretary for policy and envoy to the United Nations (UN), has died at age 86.

In a text message on Friday night, his nephew, Philippine Ambassador to Morocco Leslie Baja, said the former envoy passed away due to a heart attack on Feb. 8.

The elder Baja served as the country's ambassador to Italy, Brazil, and the UN when the Philippines last assumed one of the elected seats at the UN Security Council from 2004 to 2006.

He represented the Philippines at diplomatic conferences, including the Rome conference establishing the International Criminal Court, and served in senior official capacities in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEA...