FORMER Cebu City councilor Laurito “Ritz” Malinao succumbed to complications of diabetes and kidney failure yesterday morning, leaving behind a good example of “service for the poor.”
Malinao was a low-key but hardworking councilor who focused on projects for mountain barangays, including livelihood and infrastructure for its poor residents, his former colleagues said.
He was chairman of the council committee on budget and finance during his three terms, from 1992 to 2001, and was also active in civic groups.
Malinao, an accountant, had just renewed his visa at the United States Embassy in Manila on Tuesday last week when he began to feel chest pains, prompting his family to rush him to the Makati Medical Center.
He was confined at the intensive care unit until he died at around 11 a.m. yesterday. He was 68.
“Ritz was a very active councilor. He kept a low profile but he was not an ordinary councilor. He worked hard, especially on budget and finance matters, and interacted with everyone. I don’t remember him being absent from any session during his term,” said Vice Mayor Michael Rama, who was also Malinao’s colleague during his time.
Malinao was an ally of Mayor Tomas Osmeña until he severed ties with the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan to join former mayor Alvin Garcia in setting up the Kugi Uswag Sugbo party.
Quiet
“He was a very quiet man but he did a lot of things for Cebu City, especially for the mountain barangays, which was really his first love. He was one of the best councilors
who really served his constituency,” Garcia said of his ally.
Rama said that Malinao’s constituents in the north district would remember him for the welcome signs he put up in all the barangays there, and his regular visits to the upland areas.
Malinao’s daughter Lorelie said the visits to the mountain barangays continued even after her father left politics. He even built a house there to be closer to his
constituents.
Malinao’s remains will be flown back to Cebu this Thursday. His family will keep vigil at the Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes in Barangay Lahug.
The former councilor is survived by his wife, Marietta Padilla-Malinao, and his daughters Marie Anne and Lorelie. (LCR)
