Senators on Monday paid tribute to veteran actress Susan Roces, the mother of their colleague Sen. Grace Poe, who died last Friday at the age of 80.
The chamber adopted a resolution expressing its profound sympathy and sincerest condolences to Roces' family, introduced no less than by Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
READ: For FPJ and Grace Poe, Susan Roces Turned Into a Fighter
Sotto, who sponsored the measure on their first day back in session after a three-month recess for the May 9 elections, said Roces was a true Filipina and a national treasure.
"A lot of people have been mesmerized not only by Susan Roces’ face and talent but also by her sincerity, warmth, and kind heart," Sotto said.
"We will remember her as someone who lived and loved, stayed grounded and found her purpose in this earthly world. As the saying goes, 'Things end. But good memories last forever.' And until we see each other again, we will hold on to these," he added.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto also paid tribute to Roces, whose star, he said, never dimmed over her seven decades in the entertainment industry.
“For many young women, in tinseltown or out, she was the proverbial star in the sky one cannot touch, but by following it would lead you to your destination," he said.
"But, no, she was a reachable star, always displaying the true mark of class: by treating kindly and with dignity the people who work for her and with her,” he added.
Poe, who was physically present during the Senate plenary session, thanked her colleagues for their messages of sympathy and tributes to her mother.
The senator said that while the wake of her mother was ongoing, she chose to attend the session as Roces would always encourage her "no matter what, to finish what I started."
Poe also dedicated the recent passing of the measure protecting the rights of foundlings to her mother. "Parati niyang sinasabi, 'Hindi ka man nanggaling sa aking sinapupunan, nanggaling ka naman sa puso ko,'" she said.
Roces' immediate cause of death was cardiopulmonary arrest, Poe said Saturday. Her wake will be held until Tuesday at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City, with the burial set to take place on Wednesday.
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