(NI BERNARD TAGUINOD)

PARARANGALAN sa Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso, sa Martes si dating House speaker Prospero Nograles Jr., na pumanaw noong Sabado.

Sa advisory sa tanggapan ni House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, dadalhin ang mga labi ni Nograles sa Batasan Pambansa Martes ng umaga para sa isang Requiem Mass at Necrological Services.

Matapos ito ay ililipad na sa Davao City ang mga labi ni Nograles para doon ihimlay ang 71-anyos na dating speaker.

Noong Sabado ng gabi ay pinangunahan ni Arroyo at House Secretary General Dante Roberto Maling ang ‘Philippine Flag draping ceremony “ sa kabaong si Nograles  sa Heritage Park, Fort Bonifacio, BGC, Taguig City.

“We mourn the passing of former speaker Prospero ‘Boy’ Nograles and offer our deepest comdolences to his loved ones and constituents. A bar topnotcher, he served for a long time in Congress,” ani Arroyo.

Ayon kay Arroyo, malaki ang naitulong sa kanya ni Nograles simula noong maging undersecretary ito ng Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) hanggang noong maging pangulo ito kung saan naging speaker ito mula noong 2008.

“It was my honor that he was speaker of the House of Representatives from 2008 to 2010  during my presidency. I recall how much he was loved, not only by his fellow congressmen but, just as important, by the staff of the House whose welfare he cared so much about. We will miss him,” ani Arroyo.