Ex-House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. passes away
Jose de Venecia Jr. has died. He was 89.
His wife, Pangasinan Representative Gina de Venecia, confirmed the news on Facebook, sharing a photo of the former House Speaker marked with his date of passing, Feb. 10.
Meanwhile, Leyte Representative and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez paid tribute to De Venecia, describing him as a "statesman in the truest sense of the word."
"He possessed the rare gift of seeing far beyond the horizon, and even rarer, the wisdom to bring others with him," said the Lakas-CMD president.
Romualdez credited De Venecia for guiding the House through the "most pivotal moments in our country’s history," specifically highlighting his role in forming the Rainbow Coalition, a multi-party coalition in the House from 1992 to 1998.
"It was his gift: to bring people together across ideologies, faiths, and even continents," Romualdez added, expressing gratitude for De Venecia’s "kindness, guidance, and quiet encouragement."
He concluded by calling the late Speaker, the "heart of Lakas-CMD," asserting that his legacy would endure through every leader who serves with "vision, conviction, and love for country."
Dagupan Mayor Belen Fernandez also honored De Venecia, or JDV to some, highlighting his leadership in the aftermath of the 1990 earthquake.
"In our city’s darkest hour after the devastating 1990 earthquake, it was Speaker Joe who stood firmly for Dagupan. Through his leadership and authorship of the necessary national funding, he became the principal architect of our rehabilitation, recovery, and renewed rise. Because of him, Dagupan did not simply rebuild—we rose stronger," she wrote.
"Today, we honor not only the public servant, but the visionary who believed in his hometown and fought for its future," Fernandez continued.
Born in Dagupan on Dec. 26, 1936, De Venecia made history as the only five-time Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1992 to 2008.
Throughout his tenure, De Venecia successfully united diverse political factions through the "Rainbow Coalition." His leadership was instrumental in enacting more than 200 economic and social reform laws, including the expansion of public-private partnerships and the conversion of military bases into thriving economic zones.
In 1998, he ran for president, losing to Joseph Estrada.
He also co-founded the Lakas-CMD with former President Fidel Ramos and Foreign Secretary Raul Manglapus, and remained the ruling party for some 15 years.
Beyond that, he was a steadfast advocate for peace and dialogue, often seeking negotiated solutions to long-standing national conflicts. He founded the International Conference of Asian Political Parties, the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace, the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council, and his Interfaith Dialogue initiative at the United Nations.
De Venecia is survived by his wife, Gina, and his children Christopher, Joey, Leslie Norton, Vivian Garcia, and Alexandra Haner. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Kristina Casimira Perez.