“A public servant who triumphed against poverty and in all his political battles has remained undefeated even in his death.”

This was how lawmakers bade goodbye to the late Rep. Erico Aumentado of Bohol province, during the necrological services for him held at the House of Representatives on Thursday.

Aumentado, 72, died of complications due to pneumonia on Christmas Day.

In her eulogy, House deputy Minority Leader Amelita Villarosa of Oriental Mindoro noted that Aumentado won all his electoral contests since 1967 that led him to serve in Bohol as senior board member, vice governor, governor and as a representative of the second district.

She highlighted Aumentado’s sterling feats in the Lower House. These included the record-setting 12-hour defense of the 1999 national budget as chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations and his lone, albeit successful, fight that foiled a House resolution seeking to allow convicted rapist Rep. Romeo Jalosjos of Zamboanga province to attend legislative sessions.

Villarosa also cited Aumentado’s bills that became laws such as the Social Security Act, Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act and the Government Service Insurance System Act.

“He has the commitment to serve, faithful and steadfast in his ideals and advocacies, humble yet brilliant,” Villarosa said.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. of Quezon City said that he had always trusted Aumentado even if Aumentado was a member of the opposition bloc. Belmonte had named Aumentado chairman of the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges even if the chairmanship of House panels is reserved for the majority members.

“There are many powerful names given to me, but I know he is the proper man for the job because he has a very high political ascendancy. He didn’t belong to any powerful clan or a wealthy family. He didn’t have gold, goons and guns. He made politics an honorable and respectable profession,” Belmonte stressed.

Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas underscored Aumentado’s outstanding academic achievement that the late lawmaker pulled off despite poverty. Aumentado graduated valedictorian in elementary and high school, magna cum laude in college and cum laude in law.

“Human as we are, our only recourse is to cry. The tears are our refuge, because tears are mandated by heaven to fall. His body has died, but his soul lives on,” Gullas intoned.

House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez echoed Gullas’ sentiments, noting that Aumenatado’s transformation of Bohol from one of the poorest provinces in 2001 to a progressive one would echo in eternity.

“Every time the future generations would pass by the roads [he was able to built] or use the airports, they would remember that Eric was the one who did it for them. The fact that he hadn’t loss any election shows that his feats can’t be easily surpassed and that he was a great leader,” Suarez said.

Aumentado’s granddaughter Giselle Aumentado Villamor admitted that sadness was inevitable with his grandfather’s passing, but stressed that his grandfather’s well-lived life should make the ones he loved smile often.

“The amount of hurt that we feel is directly proportional to the love we have for the person. But we can celebrate his life of public service for he had the unfathomable dedication. His values are bigger than what he achieved,” Villamor said in closing.

Aumentado is survived by his wife, three sons, five daughters, 19 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.