Ramon Revilla Sr., 93, dies

MANILA, Philippines (Update 1, 6:47 p.m.) — Actor and former senator Ramon Revilla Sr. passed away Friday. He was 93.

"Wala na po ang tatay ko (My father is gone)," his son Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. said in a Facebook live.

"Please pray for him," he added.

On Thursday, Revilla Jr. said his father was "going through a rough time." The Revilla patriarch was rushed to the hospital on May 31 after experiencing difficulty in breathing and for being "somewhat unresponsive."

In 2008, he survived a stroke and underwent angioplasty but never fully recovered.

Born Jose Acuna Bautista in Imus, Cavite on March 8, 1927, Revilla Sr. finished his Bachelor's Degree in Commerce at the Far Eastern University.

According to his bio published on the Senate's website, Revilla Sr. worked at the Customs bureau as Sr. Intelligence Officer from 1965 to 1972 before becoming an award-winning actor.

In 1973, he won the FAMAS Best Actor award for the movie :Hulihin Si Tiyagong Akyat." He also bagged the Box Office King award in 1979 and the Most Outstanding Actor of the Year that same year.

His other awards include Outstanding Producer of the Year in 1976 and Outstanding Film Production and Socio-civic Leader in 1975.

But the most popular role he played was as Nardong Putik and Pepeng Agimat.

He entered politics in 1992 after securing the second slot in the senatorial elections that year. He ended his two terms in 2004.

As a lawmaker, he was known as the Father of the Public Works Act for his authorship of Republic Act 8150 which was signed into law by President Fidel V. Ramos on Sept. 8, 1995.

He had fathered at least 72 children from 16 different women.