MANILA, Philippines – Mountain Province Representative Maximo Dalog passed away early Saturday morning, June 3, due to kidney failure.

Dalog’s friend and Ifugao Representative Teddy Baguilat Jr, and House Secretary General Cesar Pareja confirmed the news to Rappler.

Dalog was 70 years old.

According to Baguilat, Dalog had a longtime kidney illness.

“[He died because of] pneumonia. But I think with complications because he has kidney illness for quite some time,” said Baguilat.

Pareja said Dalog’s daughter informed the House Secretariat of her father’s passing.

Dalog’s wake will be held overnight at St Peter’s Memorial Chapel along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. His body will be brought back to Mountain Province after the wake. 

Baguilat gave his tribute to Dalog in a series of tweets, calling the late lawmaker a “wise man and leader” of the Cordilleran lawmakers.

Max Dalog was our mun tonah, a pangat, a kadangyan – a wise man and leader of us Cordilleran solons. I will surely miss his advises.

— Teddy B. Baguilat (@TeddyBaguilatJr) June 3, 2017

“We both loved to wear our g-strings during our cultural festivals. He, the wise man. Me, the warrior,” said Baguilat. 

As a lawmaker, Dalog pushed for the autonomy of the Cordilla region. He was the chairperson of the North Luzon Growth Quadrangle during the 17th Congress and held the same position in his previous two terms as legislators. – Rappler.com