MANILA – Former Senate president Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. is in the hospital and is “very ill,” according to his family.
In statement on Monday, the Pimentel family asked for prayers for the former senator’s complete recovery but has not provided further details on the illness of the latter.
“Doctors and hospital staff are doing their best to help him. We ardently ask that you join us in prayer for his full and complete recovery,” the Pimentel family said.
Pimentel was the founder and chairman emeritus of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
Sources said that the Pimentel patriarch is at St. Lukes Global and is suffering from an advanced stage of lymphoma, a cancer of the lympathic system.
Pimentel was a known critic of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, and was among those who were imprisoned for opposing the Martial Law.
PDP-Laban spokesperson Ronwald Munsayac, meanwhile, said in a tweet past 7 p.m. Monday that Pimentel, the party chairman emeritus, was in the intensive care unit.
“We are humbly asking our friends and party mates in the @PDPLABAN to pray for the full & speedy recovery of our founder and Chairman Emeritus Tatay Aquilino ‘Nene’ Pimentel, Jr. who is currently in the ICU,” said Munsayac.
President Rodrigo Duterte is currently chairperson of PDP-Laban while Pimentel’s son, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel is party president./PN
