Imelda brother Kokoy dies

MANILA, Philippines - Former Leyte governor Benjamin “Kokoy” Romualdez, also former Philippine ambassador to Washington and Beijing during the Marcos regime, died yesterday at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City. He was 81.

The younger brother of former first lady and now Ilocos Norte Congresswoman Imelda Marcos had been at the hospital’s intensive care unit for several months being treated for leukemia.

He was the father of incumbent Leyte Congressman Ferdinand Romualdez and Chamber of Mines president Philip Romualdez, and a daughter, Marian Romualdez-Pompidou.

As of press time last night, Sol Vanzi, spokesperson of Mrs. Marcos, told The STAR the 82-year-old former first lady was at the Makati Medical Center attending to the burial arrangements for her late brother.

Kokoy, known for his all-white attire that matched his silver hair, was identified as the real owner of Philippine Journalists Inc. that published tabloids People’s Journal, People’s Tonight and Taliba and the Women’s Magazine.

Kokoy fled Manila in 1986 after the people power revolt that also saw the exile of his brother-in-law, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Kokoy put up his own businesses in Massachusetts, New York and Hawaii.

Fourteen years after fleeing the country, he returned from the US to face graft and criminal cases before the Sandiganbayan – 24 cases for not filing his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth as Leyte governor, and two behest loan suits for acquiring a $1.8-million loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines to put up Philippine Journalists Inc.

In October 2009, Kokoy was cleared of graft charges by the Supreme Court (SC) in an 8-4 vote.

The Office of the Ombudsman had charged Romualdez with graft for allegedly receiving P5.8 million in “dual compensation” while serving simultaneously as ambassador to China, Saudi Arabia and the United States, and as governor of Leyte between 1976 and 1986.

In dismissing the charges, the SC said the criminal cases against Romualdez had already prescribed since he was charged before the Sandiganbayan only on Nov. 5, 2001.

His younger brother Bejo considered him as the “financial wizard” and the “real politician” of the Romualdez family.

Later in life, Kokoy traded in his all-white outfits for all-black ones, which he called his undertaker uniform. He was also known for not wearing socks.

He is survived by his siblings Bejo, Alfredo, Aleta Romualdez-Martel; and Conchita Romualdez-Yap, mother-in-law of Navotas City Rep.Toby Tiangco.

House leaders condole

Leaders of the House of Representatives condoled last night with the family of Kokoy.

In behalf of the House, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said he was extending his and his colleagues’ “deepest condolences” to Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Romualdez-Marcos, Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and the Romualdez family.

“We join them in praying for the eternal repose of their loved one’s soul. We also pray that they be comforted by the Lord in this time of their mourning,” he said.

Marcos had appointed him ambassador to China, Saudi Arabia and the United States while he served as Leyte governor.

Aside from Gonzales, Representatives Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar, Bem Noel of the party-list group An Waray, Danilo Suarez of Quezon, and Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga, sent messages of condolences.

Evardone said the late Kokoy served his country well as ambassador during the Marcos era.

“He had the complete trust and confidence of the late President Marcos,” he said.

Noel said the late ambassador was a “good man.”

“People always called him ‘Puti’ because of his all-white attire,” he said.

Noel, who is from Tacloban, said he was extending his condolences to the Romualdezes “not only in behalf of my family but in behalf as well of An Waray, which is composed of Warays and Waray-speaking people.” – With Jess Diaz, Charmie Pagulong, Mike Frialde