Town mayor dies of illness

SAN MIGUEL, ILOILO, Philippines — Mayor Victor Saclauso of this town in Iloilo died Saturday noon after succumbing to a terminal illness.

His son, Charles Vincent Saclauso, confirmed to the media the passing of his father at the Iloilo Mission Hospital in Iloilo City. The mayor’s remains was brought to this town yesterday and interment will be announced later.

The 59-year-old mayor died due to chronic antral gastritis, an auto-immune disorder that affects the digestive system. More common in older adults, it causes a wide range of general symptoms, such as indigestion, gas, and nausea.

Charles Vincent said his father has been suffering severe pain in the stomach during the campaign period. After the election, Mayor Saclauso decided to have himself checked and was subsequently confined in the hospital.

In a radio interview, Charles Vincent, in behalf of their family, had asked for understanding from the public, especially to his father’s constituents in the town, on why they did not make public their father’s medical condition.

The mayor was the youngest of the family. His eldest brother, lawyer Avito Suarez Saclauso, was also the town’s former mayor, while their father also once served as vice mayor of the town. (FREEMAN)