Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario should have discreetly given inancial assistance to fishermen whose boat sank in Recto Bank early this month if he really wanted to help, Malacanang said on Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the statement after Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. decided to return the P500,000 that Del Rosario donated for the fishermen from Occidental Mindoro.

"If I were Secretary Del Rosario, I'd just give each one of them, divide it (money) that you want to give," he said.

He said that the former Department of Foreign Affairs chief should have discreetly given the fund to the fishermen.

"You don't have to announce it," Panelo added.

Locsin, in his Twitter post on Monday, said he has to return the donations for the fishermen in the Recto Bank incident or he would be compelled to turn it over to the National Treasury.

He said his office could not dispense the donations and if he would turnover the amount to other department, it would be malversation. Celerina Monte/DMS