Atty. Ely Pamatong. INQUIRER file photo / MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines — Controversial figure and lawyer Elly Pamatong died months ago, his personal spokesperson Rameses Javier Casten said in a statement as questions arose if the former who’s been active in Philippine politics filed his certificate of candidacy.
Casten said on Friday that Pamatong died last July 24 due to cardiac arrest and not due to COVID-19 as earlier speculated.
He was 78.
According to Casten, the death of Pamatong was not made public due to the family’s wish to mourn the lawyer’s passing privately.
“In accordance with his wishes, he was cremated and in-urned last August 1, 2021. His cremated remains are in the chapel of his group in Bitas, Arayat, Pampanga, in the same place where he passed away,” he said.
“His family gave specific instructions to mourn his death in silence and privacy, causing our friends in the media to receive minimal information and coverage,” he explained.
Earlier, some netizens were asking if Pamatong, a figure in Philippine elections in the past two decades as he tried to run for president in 2004 and 2010, would file his certificate of candidacy (COCs) before the Commission on Elections.
October 1 marks the first day of the filing of COCs — an event Pamatong frequented. Comelec, however, declared him a nuisance candidate in both the 2004 and 2010 elections.
He also claimed to be the country’s legitimate president on separate occasions while having his fair share of controversies and brushes with the law. After being declared as a nuisance candidate, he ordered supporters to spread metal spikes on major thoroughfares as a form of protest.
The incident inconvenienced many motorists. Then in 2014, he was accused of leading his ultra-right group USA Freedom Fighters of the East (Usaffe) in plotting to bomb major establishments in Metro Manila, including the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
READ: Who is Ely Pamatong?
Despite the issues, Casten said that he believes Pamatong remains a vital figure in the country’s rich political history.
“I am in the conviction that despite the recent incidents and political activity, Atty. Pamatong became one of the active participants in the rich history of the politics in our country. It is wished, therefore, that we carry on his legacy with courage and resilience, and that his death be conveyed in an orderly manner worthy of his dignity and person,” Casten said.