Updated to include quotes and reaction from PDP-Laban
MANILA, Philippines — Former Senator Heherson Alvarez has succumbed to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), his son Hexilon confirmed on Monday. He was 80.
“Yes. We are all still in a state of immense grief and shock,” the younger Alvarez told INQUIRER.net in a text message.
Heherson Alvarez with wife Cecile Guidote. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The former senator, along with his wife Cecile, was reported to have COVID-19 last March. They were said to be in “critical condition.”
Alvarez was a staunch supporter of former president Corazon Aquino, and was a fierce critic of the Marcos regime. He has always been know for his human rights advocacy.
Image from Heherson Alvarez’s Facebook page.
He ran as a senator when Mrs. Aquino ran for president against Marcos.
Alvarez also previously served as congressman of Isabela province. He also headed the Department of Agrarian Reform and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources simultaneously, before retiring from public service.
In a Facebook post last April 6, the younger Alvarez said that his mother has been extubated and was “already breathing comfortably.”
However, Alvarez remained in critical condition, though his x-ray results showed “some slight improvement.”
“Please continue praying also for my dad, who has just been moved to the newly-opened ICU COVID wing where he can be closely monitored. His x-ray results show some slight improvement, but he is still in critical condition,” Hex Alvarez earlier posted.
The ruling party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) grieved for the loss of its party stalwart.
“The @PDPLABAN is mourning the loss of its party stalwart former Cong, Sec and Sen. Sonny Alvarez,” PDP-Laban executive director Ron Munsayac wrote in a Twitter post.
The @PDPLABAN is mourning the loss of its party stalwart former Cong, Sec and Sen. Sonny Alvarez.
Sen. Sonny, I will miss our impromptu meetings over coffee and lengthy phone calls where we will discuss our plans of strengthening the party and ingenious ideas ideas to help. pic.twitter.com/AHQWqIm00R
— Ron Munsayac (@RonMunsayac) April 20, 2020
“Sen. Sonny, I will miss our impromptu meetings over coffee and lengthy phone calls where we will discuss our plans of strengthening the party and ingenious ideas to help,” he added.
Meanwhile, Albay 2nd District Joey Salceda described Alvarez as an “environmental warrior” and a “comrade in the climate fight.”
“Rest in peace to our environmental warrior, a comrade in the climate fight, Sen. Heherson T. Alvarez. Another COVID-19 victim,” the lawmaker said in a Facebook post.