FORMER senator and UST Civil Law alumnus Victor Ziga died on Jan. 31 at 75 years old due to heart and multiorgan failure.
His death was confirmed by his son, Albay Board Member Victor Ziga, Jr., in a Facebook post.
Ziga graduated from the UST Faculty of Civil Law in 1974 and was appointed cabinet minister by President Corazon Aquino in 1986. He was elected senator in 1987.
As a legislator, Ziga authored numerous laws including the Senior Citizens’ Law and the Build-Operate Transfer Law that paved the way for government projects like the Metropolitan Railway Transit and the South Luzon Expressway rehabilitation.
Ziga was known as a member of the “Magnificent 12” — senators who voted against the US Bases Treaty in 1991, ending the 1947 agreement between the Philippines with the US that allowed the latter to establish and operate the Clark air base and the Subic naval base.
In 2008, Ziga was conferred The Outstanding Thomasian Alumni (Total) award for his government service.
Marian Caroline Louise Ziga-So, Ziga’s daughter, said the former senator was a very hands-on father even when his children had started families of their own.
“He would call everyone daily to check on all the children [and] what they were doing. We were very close-knit, so every weekend we were together to have lunch, merienda and dinner. Just talking, making his grandchildren sing and dance to popular Kpop songs,” she told the Varsitarian.
The Senate paid tribute to the former senator with a resolution expressing the chamber’s condolences to the family of Ziga.
“The passing away of a great and dedicated public servant, who had established standards of excellence in devotion to public service is a great loss to the nation,” Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said.
Ziga’s remains lay in repose at the Loyola Memorial Chapel in Sucat, Parañaque. His remains were cremated on Feb. 5.
The Senate will hold a necrological service for the former senator on Feb. 10.
