Ex-Senate President Angara’s last weekend spent with friends, law firm colleagues

Former Senate President Edgardo Angara spent what would be his last Saturday with friends and colleagues from the law firm that he established in the 1970s.

His son, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, shared some of the pictures of his father who appeared happy and jovial as he was reunited with friends from way back.

Saturday, May 12, 2018

• Angara left his Tagaytay rest house a bit past 10 a.m. to attend the anniversary of ACCRA Law at the Tagaytay Highlands.
• He returned to his Tagaytay rest house around 2:30 p.m.
• Between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., his friends from the ACCRA Law anniversary, Attorney Lazatin, Senator Franklin Drilon and wife, Attorney Regala and wife, and Attorney Geraldez arrived at Angara's Tagaytay rest house for "meryenda cena".  Attorney De Guzman and his wife followed at 7 p.m.
• The guests left between 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Angara was said to have been in a jovial mood throughout the afternoon and evening. He even toured his guests around his Art House before sending them off.
•  Angara went to his bedroom to turn in at about 7:45 p.m.

Sunday, May 13, 2018

• According to his household staff, Angara usually wakes up between 2:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. to perform his morning routine. However on this morning, oddly, he was not able to perform such.
• At about 7 a.m., his caregiver went to his room to offer breakfast and Angara declined, saying he will sleep further.
• At about 8:30 a.m., a flush of the toilet from Angara's bathroom was heard by his caregiver and security aid. At 9 a.m. again a cough was heard from inside his room.
• At 10:30 a.m., the caregiver again went into Angara's room to check on him. This was when the caregiver noticed that Angara was not responsive anymore and she hurriedly tried to wake him up. With no response from Angara, she then applied CPR. While CPR was being applied, simultaneously Angara's vehicle was arranged by the driver for emergency transport to the hospital.
• Angara was rushed to the Tagaytay Medical Center and arrived at 11:15 a.m. The hospital's medical team tried to revive Angara, but failing to do so, they pronounced him dead.

Angara's remains arrived at Villamor AirBase Monday and were brought to the Heritage Park for public viewing. The remains will be brought to the Senate on Wednesday for necrological services.

The former senator was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as Special Envoy to the European Union, and the Chairman of the New Clark City under the current administration.

Prior to this, he served as senator from 1987 to 1998, and from 2001 to 2013.

Among the laws he authored is the Free High School Act, and the establishment of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the National Health Insurance Act (PhilHealth).

He also authored the Senior Citizens Act, the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA), the Renewable Energy Act, and the Procurement Reform Act.

Angara was also the Agriculture Secretary under the administration of former President and incumbent Manila City Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada, and President of the University of the Philippines from 1981 to 1987. —NB/KG, GMA News