Senior Citizens Rep. Jun Datol passes away —House SecGen

Senior Citizens party-list Representative Francisco Datol Jr. has passed away.

House Secretary General Jose Luis Montales confirmed the news in a statement issued on Monday morning.

"It is with deep sadness that we inform you that Cong. Jun Datol passed away a few hours ago," Montales said.

While Montales confirmed Datol's death, he told GMA News Online that they do not have the details yet.

"We will give you the details as soon as we receive them," he said.

Montales did not mention the cause of Datol's death.

"May he rest in peace. Our heartfelt condolences to his loved ones," he added. 

Party-list Coalition president and Deputy Speaker Michael Romero expressed his condolences to the family of the late congressman.

"My sympathies also to the Senior Citizens party-list whose officers and members have been the driving force behind Congressman Datol's strong efforts to push legislation for the welfare of seniors all over our country," he said.

"We have lost a determined advocate for the poor and marginalized, an advocacy we share with the Senior Citizens oarty-list," he added.

Bagong Henerasyon party-list Representative Bernadette Herrera, for her part, remembered Datol as a colleague who was fun to work with.

She even said she was "phonepals" with Datol as they talked almost every day to push measures geared towards the welfare of senior citizens.

"Hindi ko na-feel na siya ay may edad na dahil sa enerhiyang ipinapamalas niya sa tuwing nagtatrabaho, lalo na sa komite. Bilib din ako sa kahandaan niyang tumulong sa mga nangangailangan," Herrera said.

"Maraming naipundar na mga batas si Congressman Jun Datol mula pa noong 17th Congress para sa kapakanan ng mga seniors," she added.

Last December, Datol took his oath as the duly recognized representative of the Senior Citizens party-list in the 18th Congress. 

The Senior Citizens party-list failed to immediately occupy a seat at the House of Representatives pending the Commission on Elections' recognition of its official nominees.

Datol also previously served as representative of the Senior Citizens party-list in the 17th Congress alongside former Representative Milagros Magsaysay. —KG/RSJ, GMA News