Rep. Roy Señeres dies

OFW Family Club party-list Rep. Roy Señeres passed away Monday morning, his eldest son Roy Señeres Jr. said.

The lawmaker died of cardiac arrest due to complications from diabetes at around 8 a.m.

Señeres, 68, was to run for president under the Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka until he withdrew his candidacy last Friday for health reasons. He said he was suffering from diabetes.

His son, Roy Jr.  told radio dzBB that the lawmaker fought "a couple of times" for a few hours before passing away.

"Kina-cardiac arrest na siya [ng] 2 or 3 in the morning, tapos lumaban siya," Roy Jr. said.

He added: "Hanggang the doctors were really trying their best to revive him. He fought a couple of times but in the morning hindi na niya kinaya."

Señeres' lawyer, Candy Rivas, also confirmed the lawmaker's death in a News To Go interview.

“Diabetes po ang kanyang sakit at medyo nagkaroon lang po ng komplikasyon. Kami ay umaasa na bumalik siya at umayos ang kanyang kalagayan. Ngunit, hindi po talaga natin...Maaring ito na talaga yung panahon,” Rivas said.

Later during an interview on GMA News' TV's “Balitangali,” Rivas said Señeres did not name any family member or relative as a possible substitute candidate for president.

"Tinanong ko siya (Señeres) kung mayroon siyang kamag-anak na gustong ipalit sa kanya sa pagtakbo sa pagkapangulo at ang sabi niya ay walang qualified so far,” she said.

Due to the complications of his diabetes, Rivas said Señeres’ doctor advised him to avoid anything that could possibly stress him out.

“Alam naman natin na ang kampanya, nakaka-stress talaga ‘yun,” she said.

Señeres’ campaign coordinator, Boston Sanchez, requested for prayers for the late legislator.

“We’ve lost a good man in the passing away of former Ambassador and OFW Family party-list congressman Roy Señeres. Amba Roy has championed the fight to end contractualization. May we request for your prayers for his eternal repose,” he said in a text message.

Señeres gained prominence for helping save distressed maid Sarah Balabagan from the death row in the United Arab Emirates in the mid-1990s.

Rise from the ranks

Señeres obtained his undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Santo Tomas and proceeded to take up law at San Beda College.

He started his government career at the Department of Labor and Employment’s Bureau of Labor Relations, where he served as hearing officer I from 1972 to 1974.

He rose through the ranks until he became assistant regional director of DOLE’s Metro Manila office in 1977.

In 1990, he was appointed labor attaché in Washington, DC and served until 1993 before he was designated as the Philippine Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates in 1994.

He held his post in the Middle East until 1998.

From 2000 to 2005, Señeres served as chairman of the National Labor Relations Commission.

The first-term party-list lawmaker had vowed to fight for workers’ rights and end contractualization should he win as president.

He said one of his priorities as president would be making all contractual workers in the country permanent employees until they reach the age of 65. —With Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez, Xianne Arcangel and Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/KG/ALG/RSJ, GMA News