Former Senate President Manny Villar: Former House Speaker Jose de Venecia 'wanted to help everyone'

Former Senate President Manny Villar delivered a heartfelt eulogy for his counterpart in the House of Representatives, the late House Speaker Jose "Joe" De Venecia Jr. who passed away on February 10, 2026.

During a memorial service held on February 16, 2026, Villar remembered De Venecia as a leader who wanted to help everyone find a consensus.

In his eulogy that he also posted on his Facebook page, Villar reflected on his decades-long professional and personal relationship with De Venecia.

“I deliver these remarks not just as a former colleague, but as one who had the privilege of sharing with Joe de Venecia the burden—and the joy—of shaping our nation’s path," Villar said. "When I served as Senate President while he led the House, we stood on opposite ends of the same hall, but our purpose was united: to move the country forward despite politics, personalities, or pride.”

He described De Venecia as a leader with “an unshakeable love for the Philippines—a love that always drove him to find common ground.”

Villar recalled that as Speaker, De Venecia distinguished himself as a consensus-builder, able to “see beyond pride and politics” and transform disagreement into dialogue, and dialogue into action.

“And of course, we all remember Manong Joe’s unmatched command of numbers and superlatives," Villar recalled.

"He could summon statistics faster than anyone in the room—figures about the economy, trade, population, energy, or the achievements of the House—always with that infectious enthusiasm. You could never outnumber Joe de Venecia. His mastery of detail came from that same devotion: he wanted to know everything, because he wanted to help everyone,” Villar said.

Villar emphasized De Venecia’s vision and dedication to public service.

"In the House and beyond, Joe’s gift was to see possibility where others saw deadlock. He turned vision into motion, and motion into results. For him, service was not a posture but a practice—steady, pragmatic, and always anchored in hope for our people.”

Concluding his eulogy, Villar paid tribute to De Venecia’s patriotism.

“Today, as we say farewell, we honor not only a statesman but a true patriot who spent his life proving that love of country is best measured by one’s willingness to listen, to reconcile, and to carry on. Paalam, Manong Joe at Maraming Salamat!”

A screen grab of a photo posted on the official Facebook page of former Senate President Manny Villar.

-Paraluman News