The House of Representatives held a memorial service to honor incumbent and former lawmakers as well as congressional staff who died during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco led the hybrid ceremony at the Batasang Pambansa’s plenary hall on Friday, October 30.

Only a handful of House members, staff, and relatives of the honorees were allowed inside the hall. The rest attended the ceremony through teleconferencing app Zoom. 

The House traditionally holds necrological services for each legislator. But with strict physical distancing rules still in place amid the COVID-19 crisis, the chamber decided to organize just one memorial service honoring all those who died these past few months. 

On Friday, lawmakers remembered the life and works of 4 their colleagues who recently died due to various medical conditions:

• Nestor Fongwan of Benguet, who died on December 18, 2019
• Marissa Andaya of Camarines Sur 1st District, who died on July 5, 2020
• Francisco Datol Jr of Senior Citizens, who died on August 10, 2020
• Maria Bernardita “Ditas” Ramos of Sorsogon 2nd District, who died on September 8, 2020

Datol is the first Filipino lawmaker to die of COVID-19.

The House also paid tribute to 19 former lawmakers who died this year, including former House speaker Arnulfo “Noli” Fuentebella Jr of Camarines Sur.

The rest are the following:

• Heherson Alvarez of Isabela
• Maria Teresa “Tessie” Aquino Oreta of Malabon/Navotas
• Edgardo Ilarde of Rizal
• Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr of Tarlac
• Romulo Lumauig of Ifugao
• Amadeo Perez Jr of Pangasinan
• Milagrosa Tan of Samar
• Edgar Mendoza of Batangas
• Martin Isidro of Manila
• Antonio Cuenco of Cebu
• Arcadio Gorriceta of Iloilo
• Jose Ping-ay of COOP-NATCCO
• Alfredo Marañon Jr of Negros Occidental
• Augusto Syjuco Jr of Iloilo
• Zenaida de Castro Maranan of 1-Utak
• Elnorita Tugung of Basilan
• Pacifico Fajardo of Nueva Ecija
• Yusop Jikiri of Sulu

In his speech, Velasco described the late legislators and House staff as “warriors” who strived to serve their country until their last breaths. 

“Hiniling nilang maging mandirigma… Bawat isa ay piniling maglingkod sa bayan nang dalisay at walang pang-iiimbot,” said the Marinduque congressman.

(They chose to be warriors… Each of them chose to serve the country whole-heartedly and without selfishness.)

Relatives and close friends of each of the departed House member and staff then delivered their respective replies to the Speaker’s speech. Velasco also gave each family a legislative memorabilia to remember their late loved ones. 

House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez also delivered his own speech during the ceremony, promising his late colleagues to continue their “unselfish devotion to public service.”

“It pains us to see their empty chairs in the plenary hall, but we are comforted by the fact that they fought valiantly against their illness in order to carry on with their unselfish devotion to public service,” the Leyte 1st District representative said.

Honoring the ‘unsung heroes’ of Congress

Romualdez also honored the 21 House staff who passed away this year, calling them the “unsung heroes” of the 18th Congress. 

“These men and women had worked with us in the trenches, regularly reporting for work at the height of the coronavirus spread in the country. They are the unsung heroes of the 18th Congress,” said the Majority Leader.

They 21 House staff honored during the memorial service are as follows:

• Minalang Barapantao Jr
• Gina Donina
• Rezolito Paño
• Grace Ilustrisimo
• Vincent Paul Natividad
• Jose Mojado
• Arnel Pelayo
• Joe Mar Maulion
• Ramon Ignatius Lazo
• Brandon Pabelona
• Manuel Rocha
• John Robert Milagroso
• Mariano Tumaliwan
• Allan Andrew Ramoso
• Eleanor Mamaril
• Lilia Lopez-Valencia
• Perla Velasco
• Philip Latonero
• Lina Marciana Nario
• Jovita Baluso
• Danivic Rasay

The coronavirus has infected over 376,000 people in the country, with 7,147 deaths and 329,848 recoveries as of Thursday, October 29.

– Rappler.com