PRRD, Go visit wake of ex-Senator Angara

FILE: WAKE VISIT. President Rodrigo R. Duterte visit the wake of the late former Senator Edgardo J. Angara at the Heritage Park in Taguig City Tuesday (May 15, 2018). (Photo by Joyce Rocamora)

MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte, together with Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Tuesday visited the wake of the late statesman Edgardo Angara in Taguig City.

Duterte and Go arrived around 12:30 a.m. at the Heritage Park and were received by Senator Sonny Angara and his mother, Gloria Manalang-Angara.

Go said the president went straight from a meeting in Malacañang to pay his last respects to the late senator.

At the wake, he said the chief executive talked with Angara’s children. “Nagkuwentuhan lang po with his (former Senator Edgardo’s) son Senator Sonny Angara at sa mga kapatid po niya (He had a chat with Senator Sonny and his siblings).”

“Napag-usapan rin po ‘yung pagbisita namin bukas, doon po kami maglalanding sa lugar nila sa Baler, Aurora (They also talked about our trip to their hometown in Baler, Aurora),” he added.

The chief executive stayed at the chapel for more than an hour, then later paid respects to Alvaro Amador Muhlach, the father of celebrity Aga Muhlach, whose wake is also at the Heritage Park.

‘Humble, a role model’

In an interview, Duterte described the elder Angara as a “very humble” and a “very quiet” person. “Pang diplomat talaga (Really fit to be a diplomat), of which I could never be one ever.”

Angara, who served as a senator from 1987 to 1995 and from 2001 to 2013, was appointed by the chief executive as special envoy to the European Union (EU) in May 2017.

In a separate interview, Go also recounted his personal experience the last time he met the senior politician.

“Last Monday po naka-meeting ko po siya sa Malacañang, sa sandaling nakasama ko siya sa gobyerno as special envoy to the EU, (nakita kong) isa po siyang napaka-magaling na kasamahan sa gobyerno (We had a meeting in Malacañang last Monday and in the instances that I worked with him being the special envoy to the EU, I can say that he is a great statesman and colleague) ,” he said.

“Sa sandaling nakasama ko po siya, napakamalumanay magsalita, at kagalang-galang. Isang ehemplo sa pagiging government official (He is soft spoken and well-respected. He is what a good government official should be),” he added.

The senior Angara was part of former President Joseph Estrada’s Cabinet as Agriculture Secretary from 1999 to 2001 and Executive Secretary in 2001.

He also served as president of the University of the Philippines from 1981 to 1987 and Senate President from 1993 to 1995 under then President Fidel V. Ramos.

On Saturday, May 19, the remains of the late senator will be airlifted to his hometown in Baler. Interment in the municipality will be on the next day, May 20.