SOLANO, Nueva Vizcaya — By virtue of the law on succession, Vice Governor Jose “Jing” Gambito, on Friday afternoon (May 5), was officially sworn into office as the Nueva Vizcaya governor following the death of Governor Carlos Padilla.
Padilla died at 78 years old due to a heart attack at about 9:10 a.m., also on Friday, in his house in Barangay (village) Quirino in this town.
The 69-year-old Gambito said he was saddened to learn of Padilla’s death, but he had to take over “for continuity of governance” and to avoid dereliction of duty due to the vacuum left by the governor.
First-ranked Board Member Eufemia Dacayo, a former Solano mayor, also took oath for the vice gubernatorial post left by Gambito during the same ceremony at the provincial capitol.
Padilla’s son Carlos “Jojo” II and daughter Ruthie Mae announced their father’s death while Dr. Anthony Cortez, who checked the governor’s remains, officially announced the cause of the death as myocardial infarction or heart attack.
Padilla spent 29 years as Nueva Vizcaya’s lone district representative and assemblyman. He was in his third term as governor when he died on Friday.
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