CONGRESSMAN and former Ambassador Roy Señeres died Monday morning three days after withdrawing from this year’s presidential race. He was 68.
His son RJ said Señeres died of a heart attack due to complications from diabetes.
He said his father, the party-list representative of the OFW Family Club, was taken to the St. Luke’s Hospital at the Global City in Taguig only last month, and that he was at the hospital’s intensive care unit when he died.
Lawmakers led by Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez expressed their condolences to Señeres’ family.
Romualdez said Señeres would be remembered for leading an honorable life and for championing the cause of migrant workers.
“The vision of our esteemed colleague…was very remarkable especially in championing the overseas workers,” he said.
“He was a man of strength and exemplary deeds.”
House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III also expressed their condolences to Señeres’ family.
Senator Francis Escudero said he was saddened by Señeres’ death.
Senator Ferdinand Marcos said Señerez championed the rights of migrant Filipino workers as a former ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.
Señeres filed his candidacy for president under the Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka in October last year, but withdrew it on Feb. 5 this year because of his failing health.
Malacañang on Monday also offered its condolences to Señeres’ family.
“We extend condolences to the family of Señeres, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement.
“He had been a known advocate of the welfare of the workers as chief of the NLRC [National Labor Relations Commission] and when he was detailed in the Middle East as ambassador.”
Señeres obtained his bachelor’s degree, major in political science, from the University of Santo Tomas in 1967. He then finished his bachelor of laws from San Beda College in 1971.
He was National Labor Relations Commission Chairman from 2000 to 2005 and ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 1994 to 1998.