Former Cotabato City mayor Ludovico Badoy passes away

COTABATO CITY—Former Cotabato City Mayor and National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) head Ludovico Badoy succumbed to lingering illness and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Sunday, his brother Solomon said.

He was 69.

“It is with deep sorrow and pain that we let you know that Ludovico D. Badoy—(husband) to Dutch, stepfather to Tin, brother, uncle, mayor, leader and many more to us all and a second dad to us—passed away at 11:57 a.m. in Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, Tala, Caloocan City,” his brother Solomon Badoy said in a statement on Sunday.

“We thank you for all your love, care and prayers! Please continue to pray for him and the family he has left behind,” Badoy’s brother added.

Badoy, who served as NHCP executive director from 2002 to 2020, tested positive for COVID-19 on April 14 and reportedly had difficulty getting admitted to a hospital.

Badoy’s wife also tested positive for COVID-19 but is asymptomatic.

Cotabato City Councilor Bruce Matabalao said the city has lost another gem in the person of Vic Badoy.

“Thank you for your love and service to Cotabato City and the Filipino nation. Rest well, Mayor Vic!” Matabalao said.

Agriculture Undersecretary Zamzamin Ampatuan remembered the late mayor as a leader who made Cotabato City peaceful, orderly, clean and a vibrant city.

As the national executive director of the NHC, Badoy was credited for the renovation of the historic “Bahay Kalakal” (Ker and Co.) building in Iloilo City in 2018. The building which used to be an old warehouse, is now equipped with air-conditioners, CCTV cameras and smoke detectors.

The P18-million heritage structure has also been turned over to the city government of Iloilo.