Former Senator Heherson “Sonny” Alvarez has passed away due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“The PDP-LABAN is mourning the loss of its party stalwart former Congressman, Secretary and Senator Sonny Alvarez,” PDP-Laban Executive Director Ron Munsayac said in a Twitter post, on Monday.

“Sen. Sonny, I will miss our impromptu meetings over coffee and lengthy phone calls where we will discuss our plans of strengthening the party and ingenious ideas to help,” said Munsayac in his Twitter post.

Munsayac did not disclose further information regarding the death of Alvarez.

Three weeks ago, the Department of Agriculture, an agency which Alvarez previously headed, confirmed that he and his wife, Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, are both “in critical condition in a hospital in Manila after they were afflicted with the dreaded novel coronavirus.”

Last week, it was reported that Alvarez was scheduled to undergo plasma therapy to help him recover from the virus./Stacy Ang