MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Martin Romualdez, whose clan dominates politics in Tacloban City, remembered on Monday, April 21, a leader of the Roman Catholic Church who “was a father, a friend, a guiding light in times of darkness.”
“It is with a heavy heart that I join the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis, whom we in Leyte — and across the Philippines — lovingly called ‘Lolo Kiko,’” said Romualdez, who represents Leyte’s 1st district in the House of Representatives. His district includes the city of Tacloban, which Francis visited in 2015, just over a year after Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) devastated huge swaths of the country and brought the bustling Tacloban to its knees.
“To us, he was more than a Pope. He was a father, a friend, a guiding light in times of darkness. I will never forget how he came to Tacloban in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda, when our people were suffering beyond words. He braved the storm, stood with us in the rain, and spoke not just as a leader of the Church, but as someone who truly felt our pain. His presence alone gave us strength. His words reminded us that even in loss, we were not alone. That God had not abandoned us,” added Romualdez.
Pope Francis was in the Philippines for 5 days in January 2015, for a pastoral and state visit. The Pontiff specifically made stops in Tacloban, where he celebrated mass on a makeshift altar in the airport, then visited Palo to share lunch with survivors of Haiyan and a strong earthquake that hit nearby Bohol province in the same year.
“The world has lost a great man. But the kindness, the wisdom, and the deep compassion he shared with us will never fade. Lolo Kiko may have left this earth, but his spirit will live on in every heart he touched. Rest now, Holy Father. You have done more than enough. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for believing in us. We will carry your light forward,” added the House Speaker, who was among those who welcomed Pope Francis to the province of Leyte.
In Leyte, Francis was greeted by large crowds of people, despite strong rains and winds caused by a coming storm.
Romualdez is a cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr through the latter’s mother. He belongs to a clan that’s held power in Tacloban and the province of Leyte for generations. Another Romualdez cousin, Alfred, was mayor of the city when Yolanda made landfall. – Rappler.com