Former Games and Amusements Board (GAB) Chairman Atty. Dominador "Domeng" Cepeda Jr. passed away Saturday. He was 86.
Cepeda served as chief of the country's professional sports regulatory agency from 1994 to 2001 under Presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada. He also briefly became Philippine Sports Commissioner in the early 1990s.
"We recognize his efforts and invaluable contributions to the growth of professional sports in the Philippines. He is truly an inspiration and his memory will live on forever. Rest in Christ's love, chairman Domeng," incumbent GAB Chairman Abraham Mitra said in a statement.
"The Games and Amusements Board would like to express its deepest condolences to the family of former GAB Chairman Atty. Domeng Cepeda. May your soul rest in peace," the GAB posted late Sunday on its official Facebook page.
Aside from heading GAB, Cepeda also represented the Philippines in international boxing associations such as the WBC and WBA. He was elected president of the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation until 1998.
With Cepeda behind the wheel, Manila hosted the World Boxing Council seminar in 1996. He was also the brains behind Luisito Espinosa's successful title defense against Cesar Soto in Luneta that same year which drew a crowd of over 50,000.
One of Cepeda's last public appearances was in September 2019 when he was honored, along with other previous GAB chiefs, during the inaugural professional sports summit at the PICC.