FORMER Negros Occidental Fourth District congressman Carlos "Charlie" Cojuangco died Tuesday, February 22, 2022.
Cojuangco's wife, Czarina Maria Jocson-Cojuangco, made the official announcement about his passing on social media Tuesday morning.
He was 58 years old.
He is the youngest son of Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) figurehead and business tycoon Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco.
In October of 2021, the congressman suffered an aneurysm while participating in a drive circuit race and subsequently underwent surgery.
Cojuangco is seeking a third term as congressman of the First District of Tarlac in the upcoming polls.
With his death, he has now been substituted by his son, Jaime.
Before becoming the congressman of the Fourth District of Negros Occidental from 1998 to 2007, he previously served as town mayor of Pontevedra in the province from 1992 to 1998.
The Provincial Government of Negros Occidental is mourning the death of the former official of the province.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Cojuangco's partymate, expressed his condolences to the late congressman's family, especially to his children.
Lacson lauded the legacy left behind by Cojuangco for the province.
"Although we are not always in touch, the few times we were together he always thought about progress," he said.
Even when Cojuangco had become a congressman for Tarlac, Lacson said the former Negros Occidental lawmaker would still actively talk about the province.
As a sign of mourning, the governor instructed to fly the Philippine flag at the Provincial Capitol Lagoon and Park in Bacolod City at half-mast.