Ex-CH advisor, filmmaker dies

CEBU, Philippines - Former Cebu City Hall consultant and local filmmaker Leonardo “Nards” Chiu succumbed to a renal disease yesterday. He was 66.

Chiu, at one time a columnist of The Freeman, was a poli-tical analyst and served as Mayor Michael Rama’s consultant during his first term in office from October 2010 to 2013.

In 2014, he was the executive assistant of the Cebu City Office on Substance Abuse Prevention. He retired at the age of 65.

Emilia Chiu Resta-rio Jr., administrative officer at the Cebu City Hall and the youngest of Chiu’s four children, said her father suffered a stroke and had undergone dialysis.

“Deteriorating najud to iyang health because of his kidney failure. Dili na gani to siya mokaon but despite sa iyang health problems mo-duty gihapon to siya,” she added.

Rama said he already knew Chiu even before the latter served as his consultant.

“I’d like to express my deepest condolen-ces to the family of Nards Chiu especially to his daughter JR. Nards was with us for a couple of years and has helped me and the group while I was still preparing for 2013,” he said.

“I have lost a friend of mine. I have lost someone who is confident in telling me the truth, what’s the gap and what we are as an organization,” Rama added.

As his contribution to Cebuano film industry, Chiu produced independent films. His works included “Nag-breakfast Ka Na Ba?,” which won a special award at the San Francisco Film Festival, and “Murio-murio Alley.”

Emilia said Cebuano films had a special place in the heart of her father, who always wants the local talents to be acknowledged.

Chiu’s wake will be in his house at Good Shepherd, Banawa in Guadalupe. — Charlyne J. Calisang, USJ-R Intern/ATO(FREEMAN)