Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. (File photo)
MANILA – Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo will be attending the wake of Vice President Leni Robredo’s mother, Salvacion “Sally” Santo Tomas Gerona.
In a Palace briefing Wednesday, Panelo bared that he will be representing President Rodrigo Duterte who is currently swamped with work.
“We reiterate our condolences to the family of VP Leni on the demise of the mother. I’m going there to express our condolences today (Wednesday),” Panelo said.
He said Duterte has expressed desire to attend the wake but had to prioritize work.
“He wants to go pero ang daming trabaho kasi. Ako nalang siguro muna (but there’s so much work. I’ll go there instead). I’ll be representing him,” he said.
Panelo, who also hails from Naga City, Camarines Sur, previously claimed that he and the Vice President were friends.
He earlier described Robredo’s late mother as “selfless and dedicated teacher who molded countless of young minds across generations.”
He was the first to tip Robredo about Duterte’s offer to appoint her as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs.
Robredo’s mother died on Saturday, 7:27 p.m. She was 83.
Fondly called “Sally”, she was an English teacher who served at the Universidad de Sta. Isabel in Naga, one of the oldest schools in the Philippines.
She was the wife of Naga Regional Trial Court Judge Antonio Nicomedes Gerona Sr., who died on Oct. 13, 2013.
Her wake began on Sunday at the Eternal Chapels and Mortuary, Eternal Gardens, Balatas Road in Naga City. (PNA)
