Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) Secretary Adelino Sitoy passed away on Thursday, April 15, at the age of 85, confirmed Malacañang later on that day.

“The Palace expresses its deep condolences to the family, loved ones, and colleagues of Secretary Adelino Sitoy of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office,” said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in statement.

There was no mention of what caused Sitoy’s passing. He died in his home province of Cebu.

Roque described Sitoy as “instrumental” in the passage of critical legislative reform measures of the Duterte government.

“As head of PLLO, he made sure that there is stronger executive-legislative collaboration to bring about genuine and lasting change through legislation,” said the Duterte spokesman.

Sitoy is the third Duterte administration official to pass away in 2021. Last January, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Dante Jimenez and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Danny Lim died.

President Rodrigo Duterte, during a meeting with Cabinet members on Thursday evening, devoted a minute of silence and prayer to Sitoy.

Sitoy, the oldest member of Duterte’s Cabinet, had celebrated his birthday only two months ago in February.

His time as PLLO chief was not without controversy, with several lawmakers blaming his office for failing to prevent presidential vetoes of key legislation, such as the coconut farmers trust fund bill (which Duterte eventually signed in late February) and the anti-endo bill or security of tenure bill.

Sitoy was an influential political figure in Cebu, his home province. Before he accepted his Malacañang post, he was vice mayor of Cordova town. Before that, he was its mayor from 2007 to 2016.

During the Marcos regime, Sitoy served as an assemblyman from 1984 to 1986. – Rappler.com