Lorenzana mourns passing of MMDA chair Danny Lim

The Department of National Defense headed by Defense chief Delfin Lorenzana expressed its condolences to the family left behind by Metro Manila Development Authority chairperson Danilo "Danny" Lim who passed away Wednesday morning.

In a statement, Lorenzana said the "country lost an esteemed leader who valued public service above all else."

"His vision, which he carried through from his beginnings as a young officer in the Armed Forces of the Philippines to his later years as a civilian public servant, was to uphold good governance and lead by example," he added.

"As chair of the NDRRMC and NTF-COVID-19, I am grateful for General Lim's support to our various inter-agency emergency response operations through the years," Lorenzana said.

Earlier, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Lim, 65, died before 8 a.m. on Wednesday.  Lim last week said he contracted COVID-19, but officials have yet to bare the cause of death.

"Yung cause of death, lahat po, ito ay official na ia-announce anytime today. Inaantay pa namin 'yung official announcement ng pamilya," said MMDA  spokesperson Celine Pialago on Dobol B sa News TV.

Roque said Lim "Lim served the Duterte administration with professionalism, competence and integrity.  He would be dearly missed."

President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Lim, a retired Army general, to the MMDA in May 2017.

Lim served as deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Customs during the presidency of Benigno Aquino III. — RSJ, GMA News