(Eagle News)–President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday, May 4, expressed his condolences to the kin of former Speaker Prospero Nograles, who has passed away.
“I am deeply saddened to hear his demise,” Duterte said in a statement.
Duterte also hailed Nograles, who was at one time considered his political rival.
Nograles ran against Duterte in the 1992 polls for Davao mayor and in the 2001 elections, but lost.
He served as Speaker of the House from 2008 to 2010.
In 2010, he ran for the Davao mayor post against Sara Duterte, the president’s daughter, but lost again.
Nograles’ son Karlo was subsequently appointed by the President as Cabinet Secretary.
According to Duterte, the elder Nograles’ “legacy as a leader who used his voice to speak on behalf of the Filipino people will continue to inspire other politicians and leaders who are committed to serving their countrymen.”
“I would like to extend my deep sympathies and condolences to the family..,” he said.
Nograles’ death was announced by his son Karlo on Saturday, May 4.
He was 71.
The wake will be held on Sunday, May 5, and Monday, May 6, at Chapel 1 of Heritage Park in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
