Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III yesterday led the 24-member Senate in honoring the life and accomplishments of the late Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Q. Pimentel Jr., a legend and a statesman.
Pimentel, 85, a Bar topnotcher, is known for being the father of the Local Government Code of 1991 and the Organic Act of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, among others.
He succumbed to pneumonia and lymphoma complications in the early morning of Oct. 20 at the age of 85.
Pimentel’s remains were brought to the Senate yesterday morning for the traditional necrological rites given in honor of former members of the Senate who have passed away. His remains were flown to Cagayan de Oro City yesterday afternoon and would be brought back to Manila tomorrow.
The Philippine flag flew at half-mast.
Sotto presented the family of the late Senate President a resolution expressing the Senate’s “profound sympathy and sincere condolences” which was authored by all of the members of the 18th Congress of the Senate.
Senate Resolution 168 was received by his son and namesake, Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, on behalf of his mother, Lourdes or “Nanay Bing,” and sisters Human Rights Commissioner Gwendolyn Pimentel-Gana, Ma. Petrina, Teresa, and Lorraine, and brother Aquilino IV.
The Senate resolution emphasized the political achievements of the late statesman in the Executive and Legislative branches of the government.
Former Senators Joseph Estrada and his wife Loi, Jose D. Lina Jr., Orlando S. Mercado, Heherson T. Alvarez, Nikki Coseteng, Wigberto Tanada, Eddie Ilarde, Rene V. Saguisag, Robert Jaworski, and Ramon Magsaysay Jr. and Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri, Ronald dela Rosa, Risa Hontiveros, Pia S. Cayetano, and Juan Edgardo M. Angara also attended the rites.
Hontiveros, Cayetano, Lina, Saguisag, and Alvarez delivered eulogies. (Mario Casayuran)
