Activist priest who caught Imelda’s ire dies at 74

MANILA, Philippines — Jesuit priest Fr. Romeo Intengan SJ, who was exiled during the Marcos dictatorship, died yesterday at the age of 74.

The Society of Jesus said in a statement released yesterday that Intengan “died quite suddenly” as he suffered cardiac arrest while being taken to the hospital.

He would have turned 75 on Oct. 18.

Intengan was ordained a priest on March 27, 1997.

It was during the martial law years when Intengan co-founded the Philippine Democratic Socialist Party (PDSP) in 1973.

It was earlier reported by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) that in 1980, Intengan left the country after then first lady Imelda Marcos became suspicious that the PDSP was involved in bombings.

The wake for Intengan was scheduled to start last night at the Oratory of St. Ignatius, Loyola House of Studies (LHS) at the Ateneo de Manila University campus, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Wake masses are scheduled daily at 8 p.m.

The funeral mass is tentatively set on Saturday at 8 a.m.

However, the schedule might change to give time for the relatives of Intengan who would be arriving from the United States.

Interment is at the Sacred Heart Novitiate Jesuit Cemetery right after the funeral mass.