Former speaker Prospero Nograles, 71

MANILA, Philippines — Former speaker Prospero Nograles passed away yesterday, his son Cabinet Sec. Karlo Nograles said.

“Our family would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of you for being a part of Papa Boy Nogie’s life and journey,” the younger Nograles said in a statement sent to the Malacañang Press Corps.

“Papa passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family. May we please ask for your continued prayers,” Nograles added. “He is finally at peace.”

The demise of the 71-year-old Nograles came at a time when they were also celebrating the success of the newest lawyer in the family after his daughter, Margarita Ignacia, passed the 2018 Bar exams, the results made known last Friday.

According to Karlo, the late Speaker “was a driven public servant who loved his family and faithfully served his constituents.”

“His 15 years in public service – punctuated by his election as the first House Speaker from Mindanao – was dedicated to uplifting the welfare of Dabawenyos and the people of Mindanao,” he said.

The wake will be in Chapel 1 of Heritage Park in Taguig City. Viewing will be held today and tomorrow. His family will fly his remains to Davao on May 7.

Malacañang was saddened by the death of Nograles, who they said was “one of the leading lights of the political leaders in Mindanao.”

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo, in a statement yesterday, conveyed the Palace’s sympathies to the Nograles family.

The late Nograles was a lawyer who graduated from the Ateneo School of Law and placed second in the 1971 Bar examinations.

As a lawyer, he represented victims of human rights violations during the term of president Ferdinand Marcos and is a known fighter for human rights.

In 1986, he was named one of the country’s Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) for Justice and Human Rights. It was also during this time that he joined the campaign of the late president Corazon Aquino in the 1986 snap elections.

Nograles was Speaker of the House of Representatives from Feb. 5, 2008 to June 30, 2010 during the time of former president and now Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The feat made the elder Nograles the first-ever elected Speaker from Mindanao.

Nograles was born in Davao City and had his primary and secondary education at the Ateneo de Davao University.

He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree major in Political Science in 1967 at the Ateneo de Manila University and his Bachelor of Laws degree from the Ateneo Law School in 1971.

He placed second in the 1971 Bar exams with an average of 70.95 percent.

Colorful political career

He had a colorful political career. Though his wife Rhodora Bendigo is a relative of President Duterte, he and the Chief Executive were political foes for years until 2015, when they decided to support the former Davao City mayor’s presidential candidacy.

Nograles won his first term as representative of Davao City’s first district in 1987. In 1992, he ran for mayor against then incumbent Rodrigo Duterte but lost. He reclaimed his congressional seat in 1995 and challenged Duterte’s hold on the mayoral post three years later, only to lose a second time.

He was elected again as congressman in 2001 and became the top leader of the House of Representatives in 2008 while Arroyo was president. After his three-year term in 2010, he ran again as mayor in Davao City, this time against Duterte’ daughter Sara. He lost to the Dutertes a third time. Sara is incumbent city mayor.

In November last year, the President recruited Nograles’ son Karlo to his Cabinet. The President’s son Paolo is seeking Karlo’s congressional seat in Davao City’s first district.

As a lawmaker, the elder Nograles served as vice chairman and House contingent head in the Commission on Appointments, majority leader and chairman of the committee on housing and urban development, which was one of the most active panels in the House.

He was author or co-author of several laws, including Republic Act 9207 or the National Government Center Housing and Land Utilization Act of 2003, and RA 9267, or the Securitization Law. – With Jess Diaz, Edith Regalado