Sonny Escudero, 69

source: tribune.net.ph

The father of Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, former Agriculture Minister and recently Sorsogon Rep. Salvador Escudero III, yesterday succumbed to colon cancer. He was 69.
Escudero passed away at 3:30 in the morning in his Quezon City home following a two-year bout with the disease.

He was on his second term as lawmaker of the first district of Sorsogon and chairman of the House committee on basic education when he died.

Escudero’s remains will be brought to Mt. Carmel Church in New Manila, Quezon City.
In a statement, Senator Escudero said “Tatay has always been the center of our family. He was a father first and foremost and a man who deeply loved his country and his people second. He devoted his entire life to public service. While we mourn the passing of our father, we thank everyone who cared for him and supported him in life, and we thank those who continue to pour their love, support and prayers for him and our family in this most trying moment.”

House Secretary General Marilyn Yap announced that the House of Representatives will hold necrological services for him tomorrow at the plenary right after the requiem Mass which will start at nine in the morning.
Yap said Sonny Escudero’s remains will be returned to Mt. Carmel Church after lunch on Wednesday.

At six in the morning of Thursday, Yap said the body of the late congressman will be flown to Sorsogon and the date of interment will be announced later.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and House Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez led the House members in mourning the passing of the veteran legislator.
“We mourn the passing at dawn today of our esteemed colleague Salvador Escudero III of the First District of Sorsogon — a valued personal friend. Despite battling cancer for the past years, Sonny had shown utmost dedication to public service worthy of emulation by all of us who serve in government. To the end he religiously attended sessions and committee hearings, actively participating despite being in a wheelchair, and committed to his role as chairman of the House committee on basic education and culture,” Belmonte said.

“Sonny was also a dean of the UP College of Veterinary Medicine in Los Baños in the past, having himself earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in veterinary medicine. In behalf of the House of Representatives, my family and the Filipino people, I extend to him our deep gratitude for the many years of worthy service he had rendered from the time he was minister of food and agriculture during the Marcos era to the very end. His was a colorful career marked by countless significant legislative contributions particularly in the area of education and agriculture,” Belmonte added.
“To his wife, Dr. Evelina Guevarra-Escudero, his son Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero and the rest of the family — we offer our condolences and prayers for eternal peace for Sonny, as we share your loss for one of the stalwarts of this chamber,” the Speaker said.

Escudero finished his Veterinary Medicine at UP-Los Baños in 1963 and took up Tropical Veterinary Medicine at the University of Queensland, Australia, in 1968. He was a former Agriculture secretary and member of the defunct Interim Batasang Pambansa, and was subsequently elected to the eighth, ninth, 10th, 14th and 15th Congresses representing the first district of Sorsogon.
The Senate today adopted a resolution expressing condolence to Escudero family.
Senate Resolution 834 was unanimously approved.

“Rep. Escudero sponsored amendments to the Local Government Code to further empower local government units, pushed for the automatic promotion to one rank higher of government officials and employees upon retirement from government service and advocated for the restoration in our statutes of the criminal liability of a person under 18 years of age,” the resolution added.
His death is not only a great loss to his family and constituents but to the nation as well, the resolution said.

source: tribune.net.ph