Zubiri: Cojuangco was a giant

Following the passing of Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, Jr. at the age of 85, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri expressed his respects for the business and political powerhouse.

"Danding Cojuangco was a force of nature and His passing is a huge, huge loss--to the world of business, to the world of politics, even to the world of sports."

Cojuangco served as the Governer of Tarlac from 1967 to 1969, and then went on to form the NPC in 1992, under which he ran for president. Though he lost that election, the NPC continues to hold great political sway, even well into the present.

In business, he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of San Miguel Corporation, and he held chairmanship positions in a number of other corporations, such as Petron Corporation and ECJ & Sons Agricultural Enterprises.

"He has done so much. In the political arena, of course, but especially in business. He took San Miguel to such great heights, and opened up employment opportunities to tens of thousands of Filipinos across the nation."

"His success with San Miguel has pervaded even our cultural landscape, extending into to the world of sports--I can hardly imagine what the PBA would be like without his support."

Hailed as the Godfather of Philippine Basketball, Cojuangco owned the San Miguel Beermen, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, and Magnolia Hotshots teams in the Philippine Basketball Association.