Senate to honor Nene Pimentel on Wednesday

The Senate will honor the late former Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. in necrological services on Wednesday.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, incumbent and former senators, Senate Secretary Myra Villarica, Sergeant-At-Arms Rene Samonte, secretariat officials and employees will receive the remains of Pimentel at the foyer of the main entrance of the Senate building and escort him to the Senate Session hall.

Sotto, Senator Pia Cayetano and former senators Heherson Alvarez, Anna Dominique Coseteng, Jose Lina Jr., among others, are expected to deliver eulogies.

A Senate resolution expressing the chamber’s sympathy and condolence over Pimentel’s passing will be presented to his family. Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III is expected to accept the resolution and give his response to the eulogy.

A public viewing will follow.

The Senate will also host an early lunch for the late senator’s family and relatives before Pimentel’s remains will be brought to Cagayan de Oro.

The Philippine flag at the Senate has been flying at half-mast since Sunday as a symbol of mourning.

Pimentel succumbed to lymphoma, a form of cancer, and pneumonia Sunday morning. He was 85 years old.

The former Senate leader is considered as one of the finest politicians and statesmen in the Philippine history.

He was one of the leading opposition leaders during the Marcos administration and called Don Quixote de Pimentel by his detractors for his courageous but lonely battle against corruption in government, electoral fraud and even foreign imperialism.

Pimentel was the principal author of the Local Government Code and was a staunch advocate of a federal system of government. —NB, GMA News