Ex-Sen Ernesto Maceda still alive, says son

MANILA - The son of former Senator Ernesto Maceda corrected earlier reports his dad haspassed away on Monday.Edmond Maceda said his father is still alive but in critical condition at St. Luke Hospital.Earlier, Jimmy Policarpio, Maceda's chief of staff, said in media interviews the 81-year-old ex-senator expired while recovering from a gallbladder surgery.Maceda was a member of the Senate from 1970 to 1998 and was Philippine ambassador to the United States from 1998 to 2001.He ranfor senator again in the 2013 election but lost.Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, in her instagram posts, was among the first to express condolence in Maceda's demise. My deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of Former Senate President Ernesto Maceda. May his soul rest in peace, she said.