Palace condoles with family of ex-Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali

MANILA – Malacañang offered condolences to the family and colleagues of former Oriental Mindoro 2nd District Rep. Reynaldo “Rey” Umali who died on Thursday. He was 63.

“Nakikiramay po kami sa pamilya at mga kasamahan ni former Oriental Mindoro 2nd District Congressman Reynaldo Umali (We extend our condolences to the family and colleagues of former Oriental Mindoro 2nd District Congressman Reynaldo Umali),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace press briefing.

Before proceeding with the regular press briefing, Roque offered 10 seconds of silence to remember Umali and other people who died due to coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

In a DZBB interview, incumbent Oriental Mindoro 2nd District Rep. Alfonso Umali Jr. confirmed that his brother died of cardiac arrest.

However, he said the former congressman also had late-stage liver cancer and had tested positive for Covid-19.

He said his brother was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) on Dec. 21 and was intubated on Dec. 26.

During his last term in the House of Representatives in 2017, Umali served as chair of the House justice committee that oversaw the impeachment proceedings against ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

His committee found probable cause to impeach Sereno after conducting hearings for seven months.

In 2018, the Supreme Court granted the quo warranto petition to remove Sereno from office on the basis of an invalid appointment.