MANILA (3rd Update) -- Representative Erico Aumentado (2nd district, Bohol) died of complications from pneumonia on Christmas Day, December 25. He was 72.
In a text message, Occidental Mindoro Representative Amelita Villarosa said Aumentado suffered a cardiac arrest at 8:37 p.m. Tuesday at the St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig City, where the Bohol lawmaker is confined for pneumonia. Villarosa is a close ally of Aumentado.
The House of Representatives said it will hold a funeral service for Aumentado on Thursday.
Aumentado was a member of the 9th, 10th, 11th and the current 15th Congress and was chairman of the House committee on ethics and privileges. He was also a member of 11 other committees.
Aumentado, a member of the Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats, sponsored 96 measures and co-authored 274 bills in the 15th Congress, according to his profile posted on the website of the House of Representatives.
He was also assigned by House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to head a committee which will create guidelines on the release of statements of assets, liabilities and net worth of the chamber's members.
In a statement, Belmonte described Aumentado as "one of the most exemplary public servants."
"He deserves full credit for transforming Bohol into one of the most progressive, peaceful and richest provinces today. He was truly an outstanding solon -- learned, dedicated, and principled. A gifted writer and newspaperman, Eric pursued his crusading spirit in politics, faithful to his oath and to the highest standards of public service," Belmonte said.
"He died a poor man because he never made politics the source of his livelihood," the House Speaker added.
Before being elected as Bohol's second district representative, Aumentado was the governor of the province for three consecutive terms (1998 to 2010).
During his term as governor, he was the national president of the influential League of Provinces of the Philippines and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, an umbrella organization of the 1.5 million local officials of the country.
Eastern Samar Representative Ben Evardone said Aumentado's death "was a great loss not only to Bohol but to our country."
"When he was my colleague in the governors' league, he was very passionate about democracy, rule of law and protection of the interests of the less fortunate sector. He was a dedicated and very sincere public servant," Evardone said in a text message to reporters.
Aside from being a journalist and a lawyer, Aumentado had served as provincial board member (1967 to 1980; 1984 to 1986) and vice governor (1988 to 1992) of his home province and deputy speaker for the Visayas of the House of Representatives (2000-2001).
Aumentado was born on May 18, 1940 in Ubay, Bohol, where he also took his elementary, high school and tertiary education. He finished his Bachelor of Laws at the University of Bohol in 1963.
Aumentado is survived by his wife Peregrina Adlaon Cabagnot-Aumentado, three sons, five daughters, 19 grandchildren and four great grandchildren. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)