ONE thing that Cebu Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez wanted to see before his untimely death was the implementation of his pet trans-axial road project.
The Sanchez family relayed his wish to the Provincial Board (PB) members who attended his wake at the Crystal Palace-Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes in upland barangay Lahug, Cebu City, yesterday.
“We will look forward to the day for the implementation of this project. His dreams are slowly coming into place as nobody can put a good man down,” said Sanchez’s daughter Grecilda “Gigi” Sanchez-Zaballero.
Sanchez was a proponent of the P45-billion project that seeks to connect Cebu’s southern portion to its northern part.
The project languished at the Capitol’s Economic Enterprise Council after Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia showed little interest in supporting it.
The project was one of several sore points between Sanchez and Garcia that led to the dissolution of their political alliance.
Despite this, Gigi said her father was a man who placed the welfare of the public above his own.
“He was a good man. He was a good public servant…. He placed the welfare of the public… this extends beyond politics. He stood tall and fought for it,” a teary-eyed Gigi said.
A religious song “Amazing Grace” performed by Grace Girzola, Sanchez’s former employee, caused most of the people present teary-eyed.
Before her performance, Girzola shared how the late vice governor would ask for her to sing.
Former vice governor Democrito Barcenas recalled his years with Sanchez during the Marcos dictatorship while former vice governor Enrique Rama recounted how his friendship with Sanchez began in the 1984 elections.
He said he and Sanchez both ran under the party called “Panaghiusa.”
Esther Velasquez, a member of the Provincial Women’s Commission (PWC), thanked the vice governor for giving them an hour of free slot at his Bantay Radyo (dyDD) station.
Sanchez’s PB ally Arleigh Sitoy said he will miss Sanchez despite their short time together.
The PB passed a resolution extending their sincerest condolences to Sanchez’s family, a copy of which was given to Gigi after the eulogy.
The Mass and necrological service was sponsored by the Cebu Provincial government and was attended by PB members and Capitol employees.
Fr. Dan Delos Angeles, last night’s officiating priest in his homily, said the vice governor has now finally laid to rest.
Cebu police secured Sanchez’s wake even as they paid their last respects to him.