San Jose del Monte mayor dies

SAN JOSE DEL MONTE CITY, Bulacan , Philippines   – Mayor Eduardo Roquero of this city died of heart attack yesterday afternoon at age 59.

Dante Navarro, the city information and tourism officer told The STAR that Roquero was on his way to the city hall yesterday when he felt uneasy.

He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where he passed away around 12:15 p.m.

Navarro said that Roquero has been battling diabetes for a long time.

“Kumplikasyon daw ng diabetes yung heart attack ni Mayor sabi ng duktor,” Navarro said.

He added that Vice Mayor Rey San Pedro will now assume the mayoral post, while first councilor Noli Concepcion will assume the post of presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panglungsod.

No replacement has been announced yet on who will assume the position of 10th city councilor.

“He is a great loss to the city,” said Navarro referring to Roquero.

At the time of his death, Roquero was serving his first term as mayor after serving as the first congressional candidate in the city’s lone district from 2004 to 2007.

A medical doctor by profession, Roquero was first elected as mayor of this city in 1995 and completed his third term in 2007.

In September 2000, he led the conversion of the 10th town of San Josel Del Monte into the first component city of Bulacan.

Upon his return to the mayoral post of this city, Roquero led the signing for the construction of a super city in Barangay Tungkong Mangga here where the terminal of the MRT 7 will be constructed.

The said super city project is envisioned to rise within this city and expected to generate thousands of jobs. 

Roquero was the third local official in Bulacan to die within the year.

In June, Mayor Roberto Oca Jr., of Pandi town passed away, while Eduardo Alarilla, the former mayor of Meycauayan City died in March.    – Dino Balabo