DELA ROSA: CO-SPONSORSHIP SPEECH - Profound Sympathy: Death of Hon. Carlos Padilla (PSR 615 and 646)

Mr. President, it is with great grief and sorrow that I rise today to co-sponsor Senate Resolution No. 610, expressing our condolences as one Senate, on the recent loss of Honorable Carlos Padilla, Governor of Nueva Vizcaya, who passed away on May 5, 2023.

In all of his countless achievements as a public servant, Mr. President, the one I wish to highlight are those in relation to education. Noong siya pa ay isang Congressman, siya ay author ng Free High School Act of 1988. Naipakita ni Governor Padilla kung ano ang dapat na priority nating mga mambabatas - ang kinabukasan ng ating kabataan. Hindi dapat maging hadlang ang kahirapan para makamit ng isang bata ang kanyang mga pangarap.

That was the kind of person he was, Mr. President. A man with a huge heart for the poor and needy. It is my hope that although he is no longer with us physically, his noble example will live on, not just in our memory but also in our own actions.

I express my condolences to his bereaved family and loved ones. The entire Philippines mourns the loss of a compassionate leader and good man. Maraming salamat, Mr. President.