Ex-Laguna lawmaker, mayor dies hours before SONA

SAN PEDRO CITY – Former Laguna third district Representative and San Pablo City mayor Florante “Boy” Aquino died Monday, a few hours before President Duterte delivered his State of the Nation Address (SONA).

The city government of San Pablo confirmed the passing of Aquino, 68.

City information officer Leo Abril on Tuesday said the city government expressed sympathies to the bereaved family and that they were to hold a necrological service for the former official.

Aquino was at the Batasang Pambansa on Monday, as among former local government officials for the president’s third SONA, according to a close relative, who declined to be identified for lack of authority to speak in behalf of the family.

The source said Aquino was inside the session hall around 3 p.m. when the former lawmaker excused himself from the crowd as he “was not feeling well.”

Aquino reportedly passed out in the restroom and was taken by the security personnel to the Philippine Heart Center but died shortly after. The relative said Aquino suffered from heart failure.

Aquino was a three-term congressman from 1988 and was city mayor from 2001 to 2004.

In 2016, Aquino ran for a seat in Congress under the Liberal Party but lost to former television reporter Sol Aragones of the United Nationalist Alliance.

The wake is being held at Medex Subdivision, in Barangay San Francisco-Calihan in San Pablo City. The funeral is scheduled on July 28 at the San Pablo Memorial Park.