Ex-Pangasinan mayor Villar, 72

By Eva Visperas

STO. TOMAS, Pangasinan — A former chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board, who also served as mayor of this town, died on March 1.

Antonio “Bebot” Villar Jr. passed away at around 10:20 p.m. at the St. Luke’s  Medical Center in Quezon City. He was 72.

Villar was mayor of this town for 23 years, making him the longest-serving mayor of Pangasinan.

A former president of the Pangasinan Mayors’ League, he was consistently chosen as an outstanding municipal mayor.

Villar was appointed by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as assistant secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications and head of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group.

Villar served during the administration of former president Benigno Aquino III as chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board.

He was awarded the Order of Lakandula in 2009.

                Villar is survived by his wife Vivien, also a former mayor of this town,  daughter Marie Antonnette Villar-Pescador and grandchildren Toni, Gari and Aljo.

Villar’s younger brother Reynaldo is a former chairman of the Commission on Audit.