MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 17 February) – City Mayor Florencio T. Flores Jr. passed away past 4 p.m. today, the administrator of his Facebook account announced around 6:30 p.m.
Friends of Flores also expressed their grief over his death on social media.
Flores was admitted to a hospital in Cagayan de Oro City on Feb. 7 after he contracted COVID-19 for the second time.
In his Facebook page he said he had to be confined due to complications caused by the virus, which required intensive monitoring.
“I’m grateful for your constant prayers for me. I’ll try hard to overcome this disease soon, so we can go on with our task, and I’m also praying for others who suffer the same illness,” he said in the vernacular.
Flores, a physician by profession, had served as vice mayor before Malaybalay became a city.
He was first elected as mayor in 2001 with an upset win over the late congressman Warly Tilanduca, also a mayor before winning a seat in the House of Representatives in 1992.
Flores completed three terms as mayor before becoming the representative of the second district of Bukidnon from 2010 to 2019.
He ran again and won as mayor in 2019, while his son, John Flores, replaced him in the House after beating former city mayor Ignacio Zubiri, a nephew of Bukidnon Gov. Jose Ma. R. Zubiri Jr.
The only other candidate for city mayor is Vice Mayor Jay Warren Pabillaran, who has been functioning as acting mayor after Flores was hospitalized. (H. Marcos C. Mordeno/MindaNews)