Fr. Copernicus “Nico” Perez, the Provincial Superior of the Redemptorist Province of Cebu, died on Sunday, Aug. 15, after days of battling Covid-19.

According to his congregation, the priest succumbed to cardiac arrest at a hospital in Cebu City where he was admitted. He was 46.

“His condition remained unstable since his intubation and ICU (intensive care unit) admission, despite the intensive medical interventions given,” the congregation said in a statement.

“Before 6:00 p.m., he went into cardiac arrest, and as earlier decided with the family, there was no further resuscitation done. Time of death was called at 6:48 p.m.”

“As we pray for Fr. Nico, we also pray for his bereaved family and the Province of Cebu in this time of grief,” it added.

The priest was the co-founder of Duyog Marawi, a rehabilitation program that focuses on healing and peace-building efforts in the war-torn city of Marawi.

He was also a board member of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP).

Fr. Perez was first elected as AMRSP board member in 2016. He was reelected in 2019, a term that was supposed to end in 2022.

“We thank Fr. Nilo for his service to the Congregation and to AMRSP. We shall never forget his contributions,” the religious superiors said.

Fr. Perez was laid to rest at the city’s Carreta cemetery on Aug. 16.