Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. is mourning the death of National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose.
Jose, an internationally acclaimed prolific novelist, passed away on Thursday at 97. He was known for his works “The Rosales Saga”, “Ermita,” “Viajero,” and “Ben Singkol.”
Locsin took to Twitter to comment on the passing of the popular novelist.
“@DFAPHL send flowers and my profound regret. There goes the last strand of my grand youth,” the Cabinet member said.
Jose was conferred the Order of National Artist in 2001.
Jose also penned his final Facebook post thanking his “brave heart” and hoping for surviving a heart operation. He reportedly died in his sleep while waiting for an angioplasty at a hospital.
“Thank you brave heart. There are times when as an agnostic I doubt the presence of an almighty and loving God. But dear brave heart you are here to disprove this illusion, to do away with the conclusion that if you doubt Him, you kill Him. I cannot kill you dear heart; you have to do that yourself,” he said.
“For 97 years you have been constantly working patiently pumping much more efficiently and longer than most machines. Of course, I know that a book lasts long too, as the libraries have shown, books that have lived more than 300 years. Now, that I am here in waiting for an angioplasty, I hope that you will survive it and I with it, so that I will be able to continue what I have been doing with so much energy that only you have been able to give,” he said.
“Thank you dear brave heart and dear Lord for this most precious gift.”
