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Former Sen. Leonardo Perez Sr. dies at 82

06/17/2007

A few months after his own son died of colon cancer just before being proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as winner of the gubernatorial race in Nueva Vizcaya province in 2004, former Sen. Leonardo Perez Sr. and former Commission on Elections chief during the Marcos regime, died early morning yesterday. He was 82 years old.

Perez died a little past midnight at his and his family’s house in Manila, where he had been convalescing for sometime from an illness.

According to his family, Perez’s remains are expected to be brought back to the

province by the middle of the week, although no fixed date has yet been set for his burial.

Perez’s death drew much grief from folks in Nueva Vizcaya, where he is known as its “most successful son.”

During his prime, Perez was a man who drew strong sentiments from people – either positive or negative – depending on their political orientation. But as he aged, he came to gain the reputation of an elder statesman in the province, especially after he finally retired from politics due to his worsening health.

Many, if not all, of the politicians who came from the province after Perez’s time were his protégés, or at least erstwhile protégés who made it out on their own, such as former Nueva Vizcaya Gov. and the province’s present congressman, Rep. Carlos Padilla.

In tribute, Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board Chairman Thompson Lantion, who hails from Bayombong town in Nueva Vizcaya, said Perez “created a legacy of his own with his long years in the government service,” as congressman, senator and Comelec chairman.

Vice Gov. Jose Gambito, who belongs to Padilla’s Abante Nueva Vizcaya party, meanwhile, said he and his partymates also mourn the passing of Perez, whom he described as “a great son of Nueva Vizcaya and whose legacy to the province will never be forgotten.”

Perez not only served as senator just before Martial Law in 1972, but also served as the representative of Nueva Vizcaya’s lone district in Congress for several terms.

He also served for six years as Comelec chairman before becoming a Political Affairs Minister under the administration of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.

Ted Boehnert