Napoleon Rama, political writer, dies at 92

CEBU CITY—Political writer Napoleon Rama, who was a cellmate of former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. during the martial law years, died of heart failure on Sunday. He was 92.

Rama died in a Manila hospital where he was brought a few days ago after suffering a stroke, according to his nephew, suspended Mayor Mike Rama.

“We, in the Rama family, are in mourning. He has left us a lot of very beautiful memories,” said Mike in a news conference on Monday noon.

He said his uncle’s wake will be held at Forbes Park in  Makati City. The family has yet to set the date of interment.

Napoleon is the son of former Senator Vicente Rama, considered the “Father of Cebu City” because he authored the law that created Cebu City as chartered city.

According to an article posted on Malacañang’s website (malacanang.gov.ph), Napoleon was the political writer of the Philippine Free Press and was vice president of the 1971 Constitutional Convention.

The same article said he was among those detained in Fort Bonifacio with former senator Aquino, father of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

After the EDSA revolution that toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Napoleon was appointed to the Constitutional Commission that drafted the 1987 Constitution, the article said.