Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Senator Imelda “Imee” Marcos bemoaned the untimely passing of China’s former Premier Li Keqiang, who reportedly died last Friday, October 27 due to a heart attack.

Pimentel, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said he is “deeply saddened” to learn about the former Chinese premier’s death, and expressed his condolences and in behalf of his political group, the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) party.

“Premier Li was not only an esteemed figure in Chinese politics but also a respected and admired statesman across the globe,” Pimentel said, addressing his letter to Huang Xilian, China's ambassador to the Philippines.

“His dedicated service to the people of China and his significant contributions to fostering friendly relations between our nations will be remembered for generations to come,” the senator also said.

Pimentel said he had the privilege of meeting Premier Li during his visit to the Philippines in 2017.

“His commitment to fostering strong bilateral ties between our two nations was evident during our conversations, and his vision for cooperation and mutual understanding has left an indelible mark on our collective memories,” he pointed out.

“In this time of mourning, our thoughts and prayers are with the people of China as they grieve the loss of a remarkable leader. May they find solace and strength during this difficult period,” he also said.

Marcos, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and sister of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. also extolled Premier Li’s efforts at strengthening the bilateral relations between Philippines and China.

“The hope of mending relations with China cannot be left to die with the man who uttered these words to my brother, our President, at the ASEAN-China Summit in Cambodia last year:

“What we have in common far outweighs our differences,” Marcos said.

“Indeed, former Premier Li Keqiang was a friend of the Philippines who shall be missed,” the senator added.

Marcos said “the lens of history,” if not Premier Li's words, should motivate both China and the Philippines to work towards the peaceful and fair settlement of issues in the West Philippines Sea.

“Perhaps few Filipinos now remember that the diplomatic relations my father, (former) President Ferdinand E. Marcos established with Chairman Mao Zedong in 1974 laid down just such a modus vivendi that both contained a local communist insurgency and initiated an invaluable friendship with our neighbor, China,” she said.

“All ideological differences were set aside in the interest of the more urgent concern of peace,” the senator emphasized.

As Asians, Marcos said it is imperative for Filipinos to also endeavor, “thru our uniquely Asian ways, so well understood by Premier Li, to overcome our differences and instead share a future of development and peace.”

“Indeed, he was a true friend of the Philippines and shall be missed,” the lawmaker said.