President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC
CEBU CITY—President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday paid his respect to the founder of the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) who died of cardiac arrest last week.
Aquino visited the wake of lawyer Democrito “Kito” Mendoza whose remains lie in state at the Mariners’ Court Cebu in Pier 1, Cebu City.
The President arrived at 11:52 a.m. with Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, a native of Cebu, and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte.
After viewing the body of Mendoza, Aquino talked with TUCP Rep. Raymond Mendoza and ALU-TUCP national president Michael Mendoza, sons of the labor leader, for 30 minutes.
An official of the Philippine Information Agency in Central Visayas (PIA-7) said that the President did not grant an interview because his visit to the wake of Mendoza was a private affair and was not supposed to be covered by the media.
Arthur Barrit, spokesperson of the ALU-TUCP, said Mendoza was labor policy adviser of Aquino’s mother, the late President Corazon Aquino.
Mendoza, 92, died last Jan. 12. His interment is scheduled on Jan. 23. With reports from Carmel Loise Matus, Inquirer Visayas/RAM
READ: TUCP founder Democrito Mendoza passes away
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