He was a staunch critic of martial law under the Marcos administration, an advocate of federalism, and the father of the Local Government Code. These are but a few of the major achievements of the former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr.
The statesman from Northern Mindanao was a known oppositionist which caused him his freedom as he was arrested four times under the Marcos regime. But his nationalism never went unnoticed.
The love of his countrymen led to his freedom and he was voted as mayor of Cagayan de Oro.
He was one of the dominant figures of the 1986 People Power Revolution, which led to the ouster of the so-called dictator. He became the local government minister and a peace negotiator with the Muslims.
In 1987, he was elected as senator where he filed bills that eventually helped change the political landscape as he authored the Local Government Code and helped create the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao among other things.
He was one of the Magnificent 12 of the Senate who voted to end the century-old stay of Americans in the Philippines. He also led the impeachment proceedings against then President Joseph Estrada and the investigation of the jueteng controversy of then Mayor Chavit Singsong.
He also founded the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas Bayan (PDP-Laban) which eventually became the ruling political party in the country.
He retired in 2010. After four decades as a dedicated public servant and 3-term senator, he succumbed to cancer and passed away today, October 20, 2019.
But his legacy as the defender of democracy and social justice remains.
