Remonde's remains to be brought to Cebu on Friday

The remains of Press Secretary Cerge Remonde will lie in state at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City until Thursday before being brought to Malacañang, and then to Cebu by Friday, the Palace said in a statement. Read by deputy presidential spokesperson Gary Olivar, the Palace statement said the remains of Remonde - who died before Tuesday noon - will be laid for public viewing in Malacañang until Friday. On Friday, Remonde's body will be flown to his home province of Cebu "for final disposition and arrangements." In an interview after the announcement of Remonde's death, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said further details on the late Press secretary's necrological services would be decided upon by his immediate family, especially by his wife Marit Stinus-Remonde.

On Tuesday afternoon, Remonde’s widow arrived in Manila from Cebu on a private aircraft, Ermita said. Remonde, 51, was pronounced dead at 11:51 a.m. at the Makati Medical Center in Makati City, where he was rushed after being found unconscious inside the bathroom of his Bel-Air village residence. No official cause of death has been released to media, pending an autopsy, but Dr. Anthony Leachon, Remonde's personal physician, said his death could have been due to cardiac arrest secondary to myocardial infarction. Before returning to Manila, Remonde was still able to celebrate the Sinulog Festival in his home province of Cebu. Olivar said Remonde would be "sorely missed by his colleagues, friends, and all those who grieved his passing away today." For his part, Ermita said the death was "a big loss and an untimely," adding that the press secretary will be accorded special services in Malacañang. - Mark Merueñas/LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV