Prostate Cancer In The Philippines
Ex-Philippine senator and presidential contender Roco dies at 63 MANILA, Aug. 5 Kyodo
Raul Roco, who is former senator, former education secretary and contender in last year's presidential election, died Friday morning after a long struggle with prostate cancer, his brother said. He was 63.
Roco succumbed to the cancer after being confined for three weeks at Manila's St. Luke's Hospital, Ding Roco said.
He had been in and out of the hospital since last year when he publicly acknowledged the recurrence of illness at the height of the presidential election campaign.
Roco nearly gave up his second presidential bid to seek medical treatment in the United States. He ran in the 1998 presidential election, but finished in fourth place.
Roco was appointed as education secretary in the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2002 but severed ties some months later following Arroyo's endorsement of a graft inquiry in his department.
He also served as a senator from 1992 to 2001, during which he earned the moniker ''honorary woman'' as author of several laws addressing women concerns. He also wrote bills reforming the Philippine central bank and the banking industry, liberalizing the local banking system and protecting intellectual property.
Roco was one of the youngest delegates who drafted the Philippine Constitution at age 20 and also became the youngest president of the Philippines' association of lawyers at 42.
Before he was hospitalized three weeks ago, he had joined opposition groups in calling for a snap election to replace Arroyo, who is facing impeachment over vote-rigging allegations and corruption in her family.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye called Roco a ''true patriot and freedom fighter.''
His death is a ''loss to the Philippines at a time when principled men are direly needed,'' House of Representative member Rufino Biazon said.
Roco is the second candidate in the president election in May last year to have since died. Action movie star Fernando Poe Jr., Arroyo's main contender, died of a stroke in December last year.
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