PRESS Secretary Cerge Remonde died of a cardiac arrest before noon yesterday. He was 51.
Press Undersecretary Butch Junia said Remonde was found unconscious inside the bathroom of his house in Bel Air, Makati City. He was rushed to the Makati Medical Center, where doctors tried to revive him.
“Press Secretary Remonde was brought to the emergency department of Makati Medical Center at 11:20 a.m. He was unconscious, not breathing and his heart was not beating.
Attempts were made to resuscitate him but despite heroic measures, he expired at 11:51 a.m.,” the official statement of the Makati Medical Center read.
Remonde’s remains will be flown to Cebu on Friday after a two-night wake at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City. His remains will be brought to Malacañang on Thursday.
The Palace official will be laid to rest on Sunday in his hometown in Argao, Cebu.
He is survived by his wife Marit. She arrived at the Aboitiz hangar of the Manila Domestic Airport in Pasay City before 3 p.m. yesterday and immediately went to the
Makati Medical Center. She flew to Manila from Cebu in a private plane.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, in an interview at the Makati Medical Center, said the press secretary “was a big loss to the government.”
Ermita described Remonde as a “very good confidant” of Arroyo who joined her in almost all of her trips.
He added that the late press secretary will be given special honors by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Arroyo has yet to give her official statement regarding the death of her Cabinet member and was scheduled to visit the wake at 2 a.m. today.
As Remonde’s death flooded the news, several government officials and media personalities expressed their sorrow and remembered the press secretary as “a very good man.”
Remonde, who was an active user of the Facebook social networking site, had left a prayer praising God on the eve of this death.
The status update, which was posted at 6:51 p.m. Monday, reads: “Lord, thank You for the infinite love that meets our every need and provides all the beautiful and wonderful things we experience in life. Release our hearts and minds from fear and worry. Fill us with Your peace as we learn to fully trust in Your providence. Help us to do all that we are capable of and the rest we entrust unto You. Amen.”
A previous post said he was disappointed with the poor ratings of the President and blamed himself for them.
“As a public servant, Secretary Remonde performed his job with peerless commitment and dedication, winning good will for the government through his unassuming and humble ways,” said Vice President Noli de Castro, a former broadcaster like Remonde.
“As a journalist, Secretary Remonde remained true to the ethics of his profession, was a tireless leader of the broadcast industry and a friend and mentor to his fellow media practitioners.”
Dr. Anthony Leachon, Remonde’s cardiologist, said the press secretary was already dead before he was taken from his home.
Leachon added that the Palace official had several medical concerns, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and hypertension.
Remonde was scheduled to give a press briefing in Malacanang at 11 a.m. yesterday. Palace officials and members the press immediately rushed to the hospital after hearing the news.
Malacañang Press Corps president Paolo Romero, in an interview, said the entire press group will miss the press secretary.
“He was one of the few in this administration who was very accessible and cooperative with the media and maybe that’s why we loved him because he was one of us. He was not an official, maybe because he was really one of us. He was a mediaman,” Romero said.
Deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar said that Conrado “Dodie” Limcauco, head of the Philippine Information Agency, was named as acting press secretary.
“Secretary Cerge Remonde will be sorely missed by his colleagues, his friends, and all who grieve his passing today, even as he will continue to be an inspiration to them and a shining example of a life well-lived in the service of his fellowman and for the greater glory of the Creator,” Olivar said.
The unexpected news also prompted several government officials such as Cabinet members and congressmen to rush to the hospital to check on Remonde’s condition.
Rep. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, south district) was still shocked and teary-eyed when Sun.Star Cebu interviewed him.
He said he will remember Remonde as a “very diplomatic” official and the “best press secretary the President and we ever had.”
Another Visayan, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, said he will miss a colleague who was “very supportive.”
“He always made us laugh. He always called us when there were issues and was a very supportive Cabinet secretary. He had unique jokes that I will always remember,” he said.
He was with Remonde when the latter joined the Sinulog Festival in Cebu City last weekend.
Rep. Eduardo Gullas (Cebu Province, 1st district) said there was no sign that Remonde was close to death during the many times they were together last week for the Sinulog festivities.
“We were together during the entire route of the procession (last Saturday afternoon). No signs. He was very much alive,” he said.
Gullas said Remonde must have been “ultra-tired, supra-tired” the past few days because he was all over the place during the Sinulog, adding that the pace in Cebu was hectic at that time, coupled with his busy schedule in Malacañang.
Gullas recounted that last Tuesday he was with Remonde in the University of the Visayas alumni homecoming, where Remonde delivered the keynote speech as guest of honor and speaker.
Remonde was awarded as the most outstanding alumnus for the years 2008-2009 by UV, according to Gullas, who is also UV president.
Last Friday, Gullas and Remonde were also together at the 30th anniversary of the Cebu Pop Music Festival at the Cebu Coliseum.
Bubut Velasco, Remonde’s executive assistant for five years, said she still cannot believe that her boss has passed away.
She described Remonde as a “very kind and very generous boss.”
“He scolded us when his visitor was not assisted properly. He always wanted a cheerful environment. He hated it when we were sad,” she related.
She recalled that the last time she saw Remonde was Monday night, when the official ordered dinner for them together with Olivar and Junia.
“He looked fine last night. He seemed okay and he had not been complaining about anything, so we were very shocked with what happened this morning,” she said. (Sunnex)