President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has paid his last respects to Quirino Governor Dakila Carlo ‘Dax’ Cua, who died on Sept. 15 at the age of 48.
Marcos visited the wake of Cua on Wednesday evening at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City together with his son Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, and other Cabinet officials.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. shares a speech honoring Quirino Governor Dakila Carlo ‘Dax’ Cua.
In a social media post, Marcos condoled with Cua’s family over the lawmaker’s untimely passing.
‘I came to say goodbye to Dax as President, leading the Executive and Cabinet contingent. As a colleague whose work I valued and relied on. And above all, as a friend,’ he said in a social media post.
‘To his wife, Midy, and his parents, Junie and Angela, my deepest condolences. And to his three children, whom I had the chance to meet, I am so sorry about your dad,’ the President also said.
Cua’s quarter-century career in public service, marked by youth leadership, legislative reforms, and local governance advocacy, was cut short by a battle with lung cancer, which was diagnosed in 2024.
He was elected vice governor of Quirino at the age of 23, serving from 2001 to 2007 and becoming the country’s youngest vice governor at the time.
Cua then ran for and won the governorship of Quirino, serving from 2007 to 2010 and again from 2019 until his death in 2025.
He also represented the lone district of Quirino for three terms in the House of Representatives, serving during the 15th, 16th, and 17th Congresses from 2010 to 2019.
In his post, Marcos honored Cua for devoting his life to public service, stressing that ‘his legacy will always be closest to home, in Quirino, in the communities he helped build and in the lives he made better.’
‘Let us only hope that we can live up to the legacy that he has left for us. Rest well, Dax. You will be deeply missed,’ he added
Cua’s burial is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 25, at the Manila Memorial Park.