Tarlac mourns death of Rep. Henry Cojuangco

TARLAC CITY, Philippines—The Philippine flag flew at half-staff at the Tarlac provincial capitol on Tuesday to mourn the passing of Tarlac Rep. Enrique “Henry” Cojuangco.

Harold Ty, executive assistant of the lawmaker’s son, Vice Gov. Enrique Cojuangco Jr., said the elder Cojuangco died at the Medical City in Pasig City on Tuesday morning. He was 74.

Ty has no information on the cause of death but reports reaching the Inquirer said it was due to aneurysm in the abdomen.

Gov. Victor Yap said he and other local government officials were shocked when they learned of Cojuangco’s death.

Jolly leader

“[Cojuangco] stood as our leader and jolly barkada (friend) for the past five years. He was [at] his prime serving our province and country; he would have done more … His death is a big loss to our province mates,” Yap said in a statement.

Cojuangco, an uncle of President Aquino, was on his second term as representative of Tarlac’s first district. He was chair of the House committee on economic affairs and member for the majority in the committees on banks and financial intermediaries, public works and highways, trade and industry, and ways and means.

One of the leaders of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, Cojuangco was a younger brother of businessman Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr., the party’s founding chair.–Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon