Abalos matriarch dies of COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — The matriarch of the Abalos family died of COVID-19 on Monday.

Corazon Abalos, the wife of former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. and mother of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr., died of severe sepsis secondary to pneumonia due to COVID-19, according to a statement disseminated by the MMDA yesterday.

The family said that the night before her death, she tested positive for the virus anew.

Benjamin Sr., Corazon and Benjamin Jr. tested positive for the virus late last year.

“Some of our family members have been exposed and immediately subjected to testing pursuant to (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases or) IATF protocols. Upon receiving the results, all the tests turned out to be negative,” the family’s statement read.

“Despite this, the members exposed still have to undergo another five-day quarantine and another swabbing, abiding by health guidelines,” the family added.

A service and mass for Corazon would be held on Feb. 2, the family said, to ensure that everyone is cleared.

Benjamin Jr., in a Facebook post yesterday, said his mother’s “unconditional love would always be treasured and imprinted in our hearts.”