He lost both of them earlier this year
Sen. Joel Villanueva on Tuesday, October 20, opened up about grieving after losing his mother and his sister earlier this year.
His mother, Adoracion Jose Villanueva, also known as Sister Dory, passed away in March due to fatal arrhythmia secondary to septic shock. While his sister, former Bocaue Mayor Joni Villanueva-Tugna, died in May.
“I’m not sure if I am past the stage of grief because it was quite devastating,” the senator said in an interview with ANC’s Headstart. “So you just do your best to move on and look at what God has in store for you. I will continue to believe in him and trust him in these trying times.”
Villanueva said he will miss the phone calls of his mom and his sister, who he considers his best friend.
“It’s very odd to grieve at this point where you are forced to be in one place, here in Bulacan, and whenever you go out you see your sister’s face all over the town,” he said. “But we still stand firm in the promises of the Lord. This earth is not our home and we know that we will be reunited with our loved ones someday.”