House Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy III led his fellow congressmen Sunday, Dec. 21 in paying sweet tribute to their beloved and respected late colleague, Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop.

Acop, 78, a member of the powerful Commission on Appointments in the current 20th Congress, was reportedly declared dead late Saturday night at Assumption Hospital. He was earlier found unconscious in his room.

Dy, in a statement, described Acop as a "faithful public servant" who was "courageous, and steadfast in his principles".

"Siya ay huwaran ng integridad sa serbisyo publiko. Sa bawat tungkuling kanyang ginampanan, malinaw ang kanyang paninindigan na ang batas ay para sa kapakanan ng mamamayan at ang kapangyarihan ay pananagutan, hindi pribilehiyo," said the Isabela 6th district representative.

(He was a model of integrity in public service. In every duty he fulfilled, his conviction was clear in that the law exists for the welfare of the people, and power is a responsibility, not a privilege.)

"Malaking kawalan ang kanyang pagpanaw para sa Kongreso, para sa Antipolo at para sa sambayanang Pilipino. Gayunpaman, ang kanyang halimbawa bilang isang marangal at tapat na lingkod-bayan ay mananatili at patuloy na magsisilbing gabay sa mga institusyong kanyang pinaglingkuran," Dy added.

(His passing is a great loss to Congress, to Antipolo, and to the Filipino nation. Nevertheless, his example as an honorable and faithful public servant will remain and continue to serve as a guide to the institutions he served.)

Minority Leader 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino "Nonoy" Libanan took to Facebook Sunday to pay his respects to Acop.

"Buong puso akong nakikiramay sa pamilya, mga mahal sa buhay, at mga nasasakupan ng yumaong Antipolo City 2nd district Representative Romeo Acop (I wholeheartedly extend my condolences to the family, loved ones, and constituents of the late Antipolo City 2nd district Representative Romeo Acop)," Libanan wrote.

"Siya ay isang magiting na lingkod-bayan na ang paninindigan ay matatag na hinubog ng prinsipyo at katarungan, at ang walang takot na paglaban sa kriminalidad ay nagsilbing gabay ng kaniyang paglilingkod sa Kongreso at sa sambayanan," he said.

(He was a valiant public servant whose steadfast principles were shaped by justice, and whose fearless fight against criminality guided his service in Congress and to the nation.)

Libanan added of Acop: "Ang kanyang pamana ng integridad, disiplina, at malasakit sa kapayapaan at kaayusan ay mananatiling inspirasyon sa mga kapwa niya mambabatas at sa bawat Pilipinong naglilingkod para sa ikabubuti ng bayan."

(His legacy of integrity, discipline, and compassion for peace and order will remain an inspiration to his fellow lawmakers and to every Filipino who serves for the good of the country.)

Sharing in the deep sadness felt by House members over Acop's passing was Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, who described the Antipolo solon as "a statesman in the truest and noblest sense of the word".

Adiong noted that Acop was both a seasoned police investigator and hardnosed lawyer who "carried the law not merely as a profession, but as a moral compass".

"This rare union of practitioner, investigator, and jurist shaped the kind of legislator he became. In Congress, he brought with him the precision of an investigator, the discipline of law enforcement, and the wisdom of a seasoned legal mind. He was deliberate, exacting, and always anchored on facts, never theatrics," he said.

Adiong shared that "Cong Romy" was even gracious enough to mentor him during his first year as a congressman.

"His passing leaves a void that cannot be filled. The halls of Congress are quieter without his steady presence, his measured voice, and his unwavering sense of duty. Yet his legacy lives on in the institutions he strengthened, the laws he helped shape, and in the many public servants he guided by example," Adiong said.

Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima may not have been a colleague of Acop’s for a long time, but the latter's impact on the institution wasn't lost on her. "As a police general, lawyer and lawmaker, he served his country well and with distinction."

"The House lost a deft, no-nonsense interrogator in high-profile inquiries, as we all witnessed his cool intensity and diligence during the probes on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), Duterte’s murderous war on drugs, the proliferation of fake news, and corruption issues in government agencies, among others," she said.

"We will miss his sharp mind and courageous stance in many pressing issues in our country," De Lima added.