After ruling his province more than three decades Rep Dominguez passes away: Congress necrological rites set for Mt Prov strongman

QUEZON CITY – Congress has scheduled necrological rites at the Batasan on Feb. 12 for Mountain Province Rep. Victor S. Dominguez who passed away at the Capitol Medical Center here at 2 p.m. on Feb. 8 due to lingering sickness.

Sources close to the Dominguez family said the seventy-two-year-old Dominguez, the acknowledged political kingpin who ruled his province for more than three decades, was hospitalized at the CMC last week due to a complication of ailments like diabetes which led to his demise.

Born May 3, 1935, Dominguez finished in 1951 his elementary studies at the San Alfonso School in Sabangan, Mountain Province, his hometown. A member of the Kankanaey tribe, Dominguez later graduated high school at St. Vincent’s School in the capital town of Bontoc in the province in 1955.

He later finished civil and geodetic engineering in the early 1960s at the St. Louis University in Baguio City. Lured into politics, Dominguez became vice governor of Mountain Province from 1967 to 1971.

During the Marcos regime, Dominguez became congressman of the province from 1979 to 1998 and after finishing three terms, his wife Josephine De Castro Dominguez replaced him as congressional representative of the province. After her term, the strongman’s cousin Roy Pilando served one term as congressman. In 2004, Dominguez regained the congressional post and held it until he passed away.

Among his notable accomplishments for his province were the concreting or opening of roads and other infrastructure projects which spurred development. He was also responsible for free scholarship of college students at the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College.

He is survived by his wife and children Juvic Dominguez Aluyen, Joy D. Ribaya, Bong and Honey.
After the necrological service for him by his peers in Congress on Feb. 12, his body would be brought to their residence at Military Cut Off, Baguio City for the wake.

His relatives said Dominguez would be laid to rest in Baguio on Feb. 16.