IPINAHAYAG ni Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson ang kanyang pagdadalamhati sa pagpanaw ni Antipolo City Rep. Romeo “Romy” Acop, 78 taong gulang.

Sa kanyang opisyal na pahayag, sinabi ni Lacson, “I am saddened, even devastated to learn about Sir Romy Acop’s passing. He was a dear friend, cavalier, upperclassman and adviser.”

Ayon kay Lacson, nagsimula ang kanilang pagkakaibigan at pagtutulungan noong panahon na siya ay Chief PNP at si Acop naman ay Director for Comptrollership. Ani niya, “It was his original recommendation to download 85% of the PNP’s financial and logistical resources to our frontline units, while leaving only 15% to the headquarters as an integral part of the PNP reformation program.”

Dagdag pa ng senador, “Our friendship even grew stronger when I became senator in 2001 and he was elected district representative of Antipolo City nine years later in 2010.”

Nagpaabot din si Lacson ng pakikiramay sa pamilya ni Acop. “His children may be comforted with the thought that he is now with his wife, Dr./Cong. Resurreccion ‘Cion’ Marrero Acop, who died of complications from Covid-19 five years ago,” aniya.

Si Acop ay dating heneral ng pulisya, abogado, at naging hepe ng Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) bago pumasok sa politika bilang kinatawan ng Ika-2 Distrito ng Antipolo City.

Nagsilbi rin bilang kongresista ang kanyang yumaong asawa na si Dr. Resurreccion “Cion” Marrero Acop, na pumanaw dahil sa komplikasyon ng COVID-19 limang taon na ang nakararaan.

Batay sa ulat ng pulisya, natagpuan si Acop na walang malay sa kanilang bahay at idineklarang patay sa Assumption Hospital sa Antipolo City.