Ex-actress, Pagsanjan mayor Maita Sanchez dies at 55
MANILA, Philippines — Former actress and Pagsanjan mayor Maita Sanchez passed away. She was 55.
Her husband, fellow actor and former Laguna governor ER Ejercito, said that Maita died after a battle with Endometrial Cancer. She passed away today at 12:01 a.m.
ER announced the death of his wife, Maita, also known as Girlie Javier Ejercito, in a Facebook post.
The former governor also shared that the wake for Maita starts today until November 9 in the Ejercitos' ancestral house in Pagsanjan, Laguna.
Incumbent Pagsanjan mayor Cesa Areza paid tribute to Maita on Facebook.
"Isang tunay na ina ng Pagsanjan, siya ay naglingkod ng may dedikasyon sa loob ng siyam na taon bilang Mayor at tatlong taon bilang Vice Mayor, nagpakita ng kanyang walang kapantay na dedikasyon sa ating bayan, siya ay walang iba kung hindi ang nag-iisang Mayor Girlie 'Maita' Javier-Ejercito," Areza wrote on Facebook.
Maita served as mayor of Pagsanjan for nine years from 2010 to 2019.
Before she entered politics, she appeared in some movies during the '80s and '90s, including "Epifanio Ang Bilas Ko: NB-Eye" (1995) and the Fernando Poe Jr. movie "Pagbabalik ng Probinsyano" (1998).
Maita is survived by ER and their six children, Eric, Jet, Jerico, Jhulia, Diego and Gabriela.