On behalf of my family, it is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my mom at 10:48 p.m. of May 14. Former…
Posted by Lenlen Oreta on Thursday, May 14, 2020
Former Senator Tessie Aquino-Oreta, the mother of Malabon City Mayor Antolin “Lenlen” Oreta III and sister of the late senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., passed away at the age of 75.
Mayor Oreta confirmed the news in a Facebook post, saying that his mom passed away at 10:48 p.m. on Thursday, May 14. The cause of her death, however, was not disclosed.
In his post, he described the former senator as a public servant who “devoted her life to the country and her adopted hometown of Malabon.” He also remembered her as a “loving” grandmother, mother, wife, and friend his mother was to them and “to those people whose lives she touched.”
“We ask for your prayers for mom. Thank you,” the mayor wrote.
Upon learning about the news, many netizens, particularly Malabonians, poured in their condolence messages in the comment section of Mayor Oreta’s post.
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, meanwhile, said he and his family were saddened by the former senator’s demise.
“She was very close to me and Sec. Greg,” Sotto said, referring to Department of Information and Communication (DICT) Secretary Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan.
Sotto said his wife, veteran actress Helen Gamboa, was “devastated” by Aquino-Oreta’s passing and “has not stopped crying” since she heard about the news.
The Senate President said he will remember his friend as a “strong woman-legislator whose advocacies focused on empowering women and children.”
“Tessie you are a great friend, mother, grandmother, and a dedicated public servant,” Sotto said.
Aquino-Oreta joined the upper house in 1998 and served as the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture of the 11th Congress.
Prior to being a senator, she represented the district of Malabon-Navotas in the House of Representatives for three consecutive terms, from 1987 to 1998. Even as a member of the lower house, Aquino-Oreta had already focused on issues concerning education, women and children, livelihood and employment, food and health, and improvement of public facilities.
Among the bills she authored, which have been signed into law, are Republic Act (RA) No. 8980 or the Early Childhood Care and Development Act, RA No. 8972 or the Solo Parent Act, RA No. 8792 or the E-Commerce Act, and RA No. 9155 or the Governance of Basic Education Act.