Antipolo congressman Romeo Acop dies

Home Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno says Antipolo Metropolis 2nd District Consultant Romeo Acop suffered a coronary heart assault on Saturday night time, December 20

MANILA, Philippines – Antipolo Metropolis 2nd District Consultant Romeo Acop has died, the Nationwide Unity Occasion (NUP) introduced on Sunday, December 21. He was 78.

NUP president and Home Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno stated Acop suffered a coronary heart assault late Saturday night time, December 20.

“Sadly he has actually handed on…. Our hearts are damaged,” he stated. “He was a buddy for greater than 25 years and a faithful, brave, and sincere public servant.”

Puno, who represents Antipolo’s 1st District, stated Acop had been recovering after a “profitable” kidney transplant on November 28, and that his colleagues had been “excited for his imminent return.”

“The Congress and our nation are the lesser for his loss,” Puno stated. 

Acop served three consecutive phrases as Antipolo Metropolis’s 2nd District consultant from 2010 to 2019, and returned to workplace in 2022, serving till his dying. His spouse, Resurreccion Acop, succeeded him in 2019 and served till her dying from COVID-19 issues in Might 2021.

Earlier than his dying, Acop additionally held key management roles within the Home throughout the twentieth Congress. He served as vice chairperson of the committees on good authorities and public accountability, public order and security, and transportation, and as a majority member of the committees on justice and on veterans affairs and welfare.

Within the nineteenth Congress, Acop was vice chairperson of the Home “quad comm,” composed of 4 panels investigating the alleged hyperlinks between Philippine offshore gaming operators, Chinese language syndicates, the unlawful drug commerce, and extrajudicial killings.

The quad comm in December 2024 beneficial the submitting of crimes towards humanity expenses towards former president Rodrigo Duterte over killings linked to his anti-illegal drug marketing campaign. 

Acop was additionally set to function one of many prosecutors within the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, earlier than proceedings had been halted by the Supreme Court docket. 

A retired police normal, Acop beforehand served as chief of the Felony Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine Nationwide Police (PNP). He was a member of the Philippine Army Academy’s Magiting Class of 1970 and earned his regulation diploma from Jose Rizal College in 1986.

In a press release, Senator Panfilo Lacson stated he’s “saddened, even devastated” about Acop’s passing. The senator known as him “a pricey buddy, cavalier, upperclassman, and adviser.”

The 2 lawmakers labored collectively when Lacson was PNP chief and Acop was the director for comptrollership.

“It was his unique suggestion to obtain 85% of the PNP’s monetary and logistical sources to our frontline models, whereas leaving solely 15% to the headquarters as an integral a part of the PNP reformation program,” he stated. – Rappler.com