Dick
Gordon
Mayor of
Olongapo City
In 1980, he was elected Mayor of Olongapo City. During his term as mayor,
Olongapo soon became a highly urbanized city by the year 1983. Under his
leadership, Olongapo City was converted from being a "sin city" into
a “model city” by raising police accountability through I.D. systems, proper
health and sanitation, waste management and the strict observance of
color-coding in public transport.
In 1986, Gordon and then San Juan mayor Joseph Estrada became two of the local executives who
refused to vacate their positions after the government reorganization by President Corazon Aquino. Gordon gave way for the Aquino
appointed Officer-In-Charge after a formal written directive from the Executive
Secretary representing Aquino was issued. In the same year, he joined Philippine Vice President Salvador Laurel in reorganizing the Nacionalista
Party around the
country. They campaigned for a "No" vote on 1987 Constitution framed
by the Aquino appointed constitutional convention. In 1988, he was elected as
mayor with the help of theNationalist
People's Coalition, a breakaway of the Nacionalista Party under Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco.
On September 1991, Gordon led a nationwide rally for the retention
of the U.S. Bases in the Philippines. The U.S. naval base in Subic Bay was
a major income generating client of Olongapo City. In the same year, Olongapo
experienced the greatest volcanic cataclysm of the century when Mt. Pinatubo
erupted and dumped 14 inches of wet ash on the City. However, on September
16, 1991, the Philippine Senate voted 12-11 to reject the extension of a bases
treaty.
Chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority
Establishment
and Development of the SBMA
The looming withdrawal of the Americans from the U.S. naval base
in Subic meant the loss of over 40,000 jobs for Filipinos who were employed in
the said base. Also,
$ 8 million worth of infrastructure left behind by the Americans in the base
and was in danger of being looted from outsiders, as evidenced by the looting
that occurred in 1991 at the Clark Air Base due to the aftermath of the
Pinatubo eruption.
To address the problems beforehand, Gordon led the citizens of
Olongapo to mobilize and lobby for the inclusion of a free port concept into
the national legislation for the conversion of the U.S. bases. The effort was
successful, with the inclusion of the establishment of the Subic Bay
Freeport Zone (also
known as the Subic Special Economic Zone) in Section 12 of Republic Act No.
7227, otherwise known as the Bases Conversion and Development Act, which was
approved on March 13, 1992. Section 13 of the same legislation also provided
for the establishment of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), which was tasked to administer
the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
On April 3, 1992, Gordon was appointed as the chairman of the SBMA
by President Corazon Aquino.By
November 24, 1992, the U.S. Navy completed its withdrawal from the facility and
its conversion for civilian and commercial use began.Volunteerism
and the high civic spirit of the host community marked the pioneering efforts
at conversion.
In the 1992 local
elections, Gordon was reelected as mayor of Olongapo City by a
landslide victory. In 1993, a citizen questioned Gordon's dual duty as mayor of
Olongapo City and as chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. The Supreme Court decided that Gordon must hold one
position. Gordon decided to vacate his position as Mayor and assumed the position
of SBMA chairman in full capacity. In the 1995 local
elections, his wife Katherine, a three term Congresswoman, was
elected mayor of Olongapo. In the 1996APEC Summit, 18 world leaders were
impressed with the facility and Subic became a new investment hub in Southeast
Asia.Bluechip companies like FedEx Express, Enron,
Coastal Petroleum now El Paso
Corporation, Taiwan computer giant Acer and
France telecoms company Thomson SA invested
US$2.1 Billion in the freeport reinvigorating the economy and creating 200,000
jobs replacing those lost during the US Navy withdrawal.
In 1998, Gordon resigned as Chairman of the SBMA in order to run
for president in the national elections held during that year. However, he
eventually backed out from pursuing his candidacy. He was later re-appointed by
outgoing President Fidel Ramos as chairman of the SBMA for a new six-year term.
1998 Forced Removal
In the 1990s, Gordon was a fierce critic of Joseph Estrada due to
their difference of opinions regarding the US Naval Base. This was seen as
early as 1991, when Gordon refused to let then-Senator Estrada film inside
Subic Bay for a movie that criticized American bases in the Philippines.
After winning the 1998
presidential elections on
May of that year, newly elected President Joseph Estrada issued Administrative
Order No. 1, which ordered the removal Gordon as Chairman of the SBMA.Estrada
appointed Felicito Payumo, Gordon's critic and congressman of Bataan as new
chairman. Gordon refused to step down, stating that his re-appointment from the
Ramos administration gave him civil service protection. The
removal process was not easy. Hundreds of volunteers and paid people barricated
the gates of SBMA and Gordon locked himself inside the SBMA Administrative
Office Building 229. After this, he was dubbed a dictator because of the fact
that he rebelled against an executive order. The issue sparked the interest
local and foreign press known as the Showdown at Subic.
Gordon filed for a temporary restraining order before the local
court. The local court of Olongapo granted Gordon's request but Payumo's party
filed an appeal before the Court of Appeals (CA). The CA reversed the local
court's ruling and it was affirmed by the Supreme Court.With
the Supreme Court decision, Gordon called Payumo and turned over the reins of
SBMA at the Subic Bay Yacht Club two months later on 3 September 1998. Together
with the Subic volunteers, they cleaned up the facility.
Secretary of Tourism
On January 2001, Gordon actively participated in the second EDSA
Revolution that led to
the removal of Joseph Estrada from the presidency. Newly installed President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo appointed
Gordon as secretary of the Department
of Tourism. With his experience as a former brand manager of Procter
and Gamble Philippines and chairman of SBMA, Gordon placed the Philippines in
the international tourism map by actively marketing the Philippines in several
tourism expositions and road shows with the Wow
Philippines campaign
strategy winning awards at ITB and WTM. From 2002, after four years
of negative growth and in spite of threats of terror post 9-11, Abu Sayyaf kidnappings, SARS, Oakwood Mutiny, tourism arrival increased
heavily. He also encouraged domestic tourism by holding regional events and
having provincial destinations showcased at Intramuros and
the rationalization of Holiday Economics. He held the position until January
2004.
Philippine National Red Cross
Since 1986, Gordon was elected as governor of the Philippine
National Red Cross, taking active roles in rescue, relief and rehabilitation in
various disasters from shipwrecks, typhoons, 1990 earthquake in Cabanatuan, 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, 2004 landslides in Aurora,
Quezon and 2006 Ginsaugun, Southern Leyte mudslide and the PhilSports Arena
stampede. He is currently the chairman of Philippine Red Cross.
Senator of the Philippines
Election
PANAY
ISLAND, Philippines (June 29, 2008) U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, Kristie
A. Kenney, speaks with members from the Philippine media. Kenney, Commander
Carrier Strike Group Seven, Rear Adm. James P. Wisecup, Armed Forces of the
Philippines Chief of Staff, General Alexander B. Yano and Republic of
Philippines Senator Dick Gordon, and other American and Philippine officials,
met at Iloilo Airport to share their goals and show their support for Typhoon
Fengshen relief efforts. At the request of the government of the Republic of
the Philippines, Reagan is off the coast of Panay Island providing humanitarian
assistance and disaster response. Reagan and other U.S. Navy ships are
operating in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility to promote peace, cooperation
and stability.
In the 2004 national
elections, Gordon ran for senator of the Philippines under theKoalisyon
ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan (Coalition of Truth and Experience for
Tomorrow) of President Arroyo. He won the election with 12,707,151 votes, which
was the fifth highest number of votes from the electorate.
Senate Chairmanships
During the 13th Congress
(2004–2007), as Chairman of the Senate Committee of Constitutional
Amendments and Revision of Laws, he upheld the supremacy of the Constitution at
all times. Though he may not have voted for the ratification of the 1987
Constitution, he took an oath to preserve and defend it. He insisted on the
lawful process of Charter Change only according to the process set
forth in the Constitution.
He opposed the method of Constituent
Assembly or "con-ass"
initiated by President Arroyo and House Speaker Jose de Venecia,
Jr., which was possible in the 1935 Constitution but unlawful in the
current Constitution, as
well as the dubiousSigaw ng Bayan People's
Initiative and was one
of the triumphant parties in the case of Lambino and Aumentado vs. COMELEC,
G.R. No. 174153, October 25, 2006.
He also preserved the separation of powers in government and
asserted the Senate’s constitutional right and duty to conduct inquiries in aid
of legislation against Executive Order No. 464 in Senate, et al. vs. Ermita, G.R. No. 169777, April 20, 2006, andExecutive
Order No. 1 in Sabio
vs. Gordon, et al., G.R. No. 174340, October 17, 2006.
Automated Election Law
He was also responsible for the passage of Republic Act No. 9369 — or the Automated Elections System to
obviate cheating and post election controversies and protests that hound
Philippine elections.
WWII Veterans Compensation
On April 9, 2008, Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor in Bataan,
President Arroyo signed into law Republic Act No. 9499- Gordon's Veterans Bill.The
Filipino World War II Veterans Pensions and Benefits Act of 2008 amends
Sections 10 and 11 of Republic Act No. 6948, as amended, by removing the
prohibition against our veterans receiving benefits from the United States
government. Before the law was signed, the Philippine government benefits of
veterans would be revoked once they were granted benefits by the United States
government. Because of Gordon’s advocacy and persistence, this prohibition is
now eliminated, and Filipino veterans will now be able to receive any form of
benefit from any foreign government without losing the benefits given to them
by the Philippine government.
National Tourism Policy Act of 2009
He was the principal author of the National Tourism Policy Act of
2009 or Republic Act 9593, declaring
a national policy for tourism as an engine of Investment and employment, growth
and national development that was signed by President Arroyo in Cebu on May 12,
2009 and witnessed by the country's tourism private sector.
Loren Legarda
Senate, 1st term (1998-2004)
After becoming urged by the Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos, Legarda ran for the Senate in 1998 under the Lakas-NUCD-UMDPParty. She was elected with
more than 15 million votes, allowing her to be the highest vote-getter in that
year's election. During her tenure, she played crucial roles in the release of
several hostages abducted as a result of the Insurgency in the
Philippines. These include the release from captivity of five
military and police officers and personnel (including General Victor Obillo of
the Philippine Army) held by the CPP-NPA-NDF in April 1999, of Philippine Army Major Noel Buan in April 2001 from two years of
captivity, and fellow journalist Arlene dela Cruz from her Abu Sayyaf abductors in Jolo.
During her first six years in the Senate, Legarda authored
legislation benefiting women's and children's rights, such as
the following:
·
Anti-Domestic Violence Act - seeks to uphold and protect the basic human rights of women and their
children.
·
Anti-Child Labor law - limits the employment of children below 15 years old, restricts the hours of work of working
children, expands working children's access to education, social, medical and
legal assistance.
·
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act - aims to protect victims of human trafficking.
She also authored the following laws:
·
Ecological Solid Waste Management Law - created the National Solid Waste Management Commission,
which aims to establish segregation among garbage and wastes.
·
Tropical Fabric Law -
prescribes the use of Philippine tropical fabrics for official uniforms of
government officials and employees and for the purposes, which require the use
of fabrics in government offices and functions.
Aside from these achievements, she has allowed dozens of former child laborers to enroll in school
through the Libro ni Loren
Foundation. She established
regular medical missions to benefit breast cancer patients through the Bessie Legarda Memorial Foundation, which was named for her own mother. Loren
Legarda played a crucial role in the 2000-01 impeachment trial of Joseph Estrada, and her actions eventually helped spark the 2001 EDSA Revolution. She
was later chosen to be the Senate's Majority Floor Leader from 2001-2004.
2004 elections and ABC 5 (2004-2007)
Senator Loren Legarda during a 2007Philippine Military
Academy ceremony.
In 2003, Legarda left Lakas-CMD (after Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo broke her pledge not to run again for president)
and joined the KNP coalition of Fernando Poe, Jr. as an Independent during the 2004 elections.
On January 18, 2008, in a 21-page resolution, penned by Senior
Justice Leonardo Quisumbing, the Supreme Court of the
Philippines, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET),
dismissed Sen. Loren Legarda's electoral protest against Noli de Castro. Three reasons supported the judgment: first,
the PET approved the recommendation of Hearing Commissioner and former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair retired SC Justice Bernardo P.
Pardo that “the pilot-tested revision of ballots or re-tabulation of the
certificates of canvass would not affect the winning margin of the protestee in
the final canvass of the returns, in addition to the ground of abandonment or
withdrawal by reason of Protestant’s candidacy for, election and assumption of
the office Senator of the Philippines”; second, Legarda’s failure to pay the P
3.9 million ($1=P 40) revision of ballots (in 124,404 precincts) fee despite
court extension under Rule 33 of the PET; and third, jurisprudence of Defensor Santiago v.
Ramos, teaches that Legarda "effectively
abandoned or withdrawn her protest when she ran in the Senate, which term
coincides with the term of the Vice-Presidency 2004-2010".
Senate, 2nd term and 2010 elections (2007-present)
In 2007, Legarda decided to run again for Senate under the banner
of the Genuine Oppositioncoalition.
She won, receiving more than 18 million votes, which allowed her to become the
top vote-getter in that election. On January 10, 2008, rumors arose that
Legarda would run for president after she topped a survey held during that
period. Later that month, she donated 1 million pesos for 4-year-old deaf Filipino Raphael Angelo Provido’s cochlear implant at the Philippine General
Hospital. She was instrumental in negotiating the release of ABS-CBN News journalist Ces Drilon
from the Abu Sayyaf. On July 14, 2009, she
announced her intention to run as president during the 2010 elections. On August 15, her bill,
the Magna Carta on Women was passed. On October 23 of that
same year, during the launch of her humanitarian program "Lingkod Loren in
Luneta", she formally declared
her intention to run for vice-president in 2010 under Nationalist People's
Coalition with the platform of environmentalism. AfterFrancis Escudero, expected to run for president, left the NPC,she decided that it would
be best to stick with the Nacionalista Party's
presidential candidate, Manny Villar, as a guest-running mate.
So far in her second term as senator, Legarda has filed the
following laws:
·
Expanded Senior Citizens Law - seeks to increase the discount granted to senior citizens to
32% on goods and services, impose stiffer penalties to establishments which
refuse to honor senior citizen card, etc.
·
Climate Change Law - builds resilience
to the impacts of climate change through the
mainstreaming of climate change in various phases of policy formulation,
development plans, poverty reduction strategies and other development tools by
all agencies of government.
·
Magna Carta for Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Act - requires lending institutions to
allocate at least eight percent of their total loan portfolio to micro and
small businesses.
·
Cheaper and Quality
Medicines Act - fixes the maximum retail price of certain medicines and
increases access of cheapermedicines in the country.
·
Revised Agri-Agra Law - mandates banks to
devote 25% of their loanable funds to agriculture and agrarian reform beneficiaries.
Legarda lost her bid for the Philippine vice-presidency to Jejomar Binay placing third in the 2010 Philippine
presidential elections. As a result, she continuedto serve in the
Senate. In 2010, Legarda was given chairmanship for the Senate committees on
climate change, cultural communities, and foreign affairs.She would later go to
the United Nations to deposit the
Philippines ratification for theInternational Criminal
Court membership. As a result of Koko Pimentel's win in his case against Juan Miguel Zubiri,
evidence about Legarda's cheating allegations against Noli de Castro and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo have surfaced.
Teddy Casiño
Authored
Laws and Bills
Edward Hagedorn
Based on the Philippine Constitution of 1987, Hagedorn was prohibited from running for a third three year term on January 30, 2001 but after an election recall led by Puerto Princesa’s Barangay leaders against the incumbent mayor who replaced Hagedorn, Victorino Dennis M. Socrates, the Supreme Court of the Philippines on November 12, 2002 issued a landmark decision allowing Hagedorn to run again as mayor of the city.
Teddy Casiño
In the 15th Congress, Casino
became the chairman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Development, where he champions the welfare of our micro, small and medium
enterprises.As chairperson of the Committee, Casino also spearheads Buy Pinoy,
Build Pinoy! - a grassroots campaign promoting the consumption of Filipino-made
products and the development of integrated, world-class Filipino industries.
He is also senior vice
chairperson of the Committee on Higher and Technical Education, safeguarding
the youth's right to affordable and quality education.
Authored
Laws and Bills
Laws
Casino is the one of the principal authors of four laws that have benefited the poor and marginalized sectors, namely:
Casino is the one of the principal authors of four laws that have benefited the poor and marginalized sectors, namely:
1.
The Public Attorneys Act of 2007 (R.A. 9406) which strengthened
the Public Attorneys Office and expanded its free legal services to poor
litigants;
2.
The Tax Relief Act of 2009 (R.A. 9504) which exempts minimum wage
earners from withholding taxes;
3.
The Rent Control Act of 2009 (R.A. 9653) which put a cap on rent
for low-income earners
4.
The Anti-Torture Act of 2009 (R.A. 9745) which penalizes torture.
Aside from this, he has authored
a total of 178 authored and 376 co-authored measures, making him the 4th most
prolific congressman in the 15th Congress.
Bills
Casino's main advocacy is the lowering of prices of electricity, oil and water as well as regulation in the price of education, healthcare, mobile communications, toll fees and other basic utilities and services. Towards this end, he has filed bills on:
Casino's main advocacy is the lowering of prices of electricity, oil and water as well as regulation in the price of education, healthcare, mobile communications, toll fees and other basic utilities and services. Towards this end, he has filed bills on:
1.
The removal of VAT on power (HB 2719), oil
(HB 1630)[and
toll fees (HB 5303)
2.
The regulation of oil prices (HB 4355), mobile
phone services (HB 5653),tuition
fees (HB 1961) and
interest rates (HB 4917).
He has consistently opposed the
budget cuts in our state colleges and universities as well as the privatization
of our public hospitals and water districts.
As a relentless fighter of
corruption and government abuse, Casino is also the principal author of
1.
The Whistleblowers Protection and Rewards Bill (HB 132),
2.
The Freedom of Information Bill (HB 133),the
Anti-Dynasty Bill (HB 3413)
3.
The House version of the Anti-Epal Bill (HB 2309).
When Hagedorn was elected as Mayor of Puerto Princesa City in 1992, he also served as an Assemblyman of the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCD), a body created during the term of President Corazon C. Aquino which was tasked to oversee the establishment of an autonomous region for Muslims in Mindanao and it included Palawan island.
He also served simultaneously as mayor and as a Representative of
the League of Cities
of the Philippines for Region
IV and member of National Executive Board of Boy Scout of the Philippines.
Under his leadership, Puerto Princesa was transformed into one of
the more famous eco-tourism destinations in the Philippines. The city is also a
global model for environment protection, elevating the city into the Hall of
Fame as the Philippines “cleanest and greenest” component city and winning
several global recognition and awards in the process.
Edward Hagedorn
Based on the Philippine Constitution of 1987, Hagedorn was prohibited from running for a third three year term on January 30, 2001 but after an election recall led by Puerto Princesa’s Barangay leaders against the incumbent mayor who replaced Hagedorn, Victorino Dennis M. Socrates, the Supreme Court of the Philippines on November 12, 2002 issued a landmark decision allowing Hagedorn to run again as mayor of the city.
On September 2005, Hagedorn was appointed by President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo as the “anti-jueteng czar”, charged
to oversee the government’s efforts to clamp down on the proliferation of the
illegal two-numbers gambling. Hagedorn was given the task of creating a
legalized and government form of jueteng called Small
Town Lottery or STL
Leadership Initiatives
· Oplan Linis Program (Clean and Green Campaign) - Launched on August 1, 1992, the program aims to sustain cleanliness, beautification, and sanitation in the city through active and continuing partnership among government agencies, non-government organizations, the private sectors, and citizens. The program has earned for Puerto Princesa the coveted label of being the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines.
·
Bantay Puerto Program (Puerto Princesa Watch) - Protect + Rehabilitate + Plan - These are the program’s key
management thrusts. Protect what is there, rehabilitate what has been
destroyed, and plan for the intelligent utilization of the city’s terrestrial
and marine resources. This is the life cycle that the program envisions for the
community to achieve sustainable development.
·
Comprehensive Housing Program - Puerto Princesa’s vast land area and its rich terrestrial and
marine resources have become like magnets that attracted a lot of in-migration
from all over the country. They came in droves and squatted in public and
private lands whose owners either did not care or know. Majority of them, being
fishermen, chose the coastal areas for being closest to their source of income.
·
Agriculture Program - Puerto Princesa City is primarily an agricultural economy. It is
almost self-sufficient in food, except for a few varieties of vegetables. Metro
Manila’s ten million population get their fish and other marine supplies from
the city in particular and Palawan in general. To improve the farmer’s quality
of life, however, there exists the urgent need to introduce productivity
enhancement programs.
·
Education Program - To highlight the importance that the city government attaches to
education as playing a pivotal role in the city’s future development, Mayor
Edward S. Hagedorn launched the City Education Enhancement Program. The project
intends to improve the standard of education within the service area of the
city government by identifying and prioritizing the establishment of schools,
and organizing a continuous training scheme for schoolteachers in the city.
·
Health Program – When
illness strikes and there is no one to turn to for help, people are tempted to
resort to illegal means for remedy. For farmers and fishermen, for example, the
seas and the forests become attractive sources of fast buck. To dispel the
temptation, the City Government has undertaken effective and efficient health
services.
·
Infrastructure Program – Under the leadership of Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn, Puerto
Princesa witnessed a boom in both horizontal and vertical constructions,
implemented with the ultimate goal of boosting the economic development of the
city, at the least possible cost.
·
Livelihood Program – “Kaunlaran” (Development) or economic development is the last of
the three K’s (the first two being “Kalinisan” or cleanliness and “Kapayapaan”
or peace and order) that Mayor Hagedorn has promised the people of Puerto
Princesa. This is the most difficult and challenging task that the mayor has
put before himself but has achieved a degree of relative peace in the city,
making it one of the safest destinations in the Philippines.
·
Tourism Program - Puerto Princesa City was a place no one really bothered to know,
except of course the Puerto Princesans. What little that people knew about
Puerto Princesa were mostly conjured images of a not-so-wholesome place like
being the abode of prisoners, and where malaria abounds, but Hagedorn has built
an image for the city as a place to go for eco tourism, seeing a developing
city yet maintains a balance with nature, a city in the forest.
·
E-tricycle - On January 19, 2007, Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn unveiled the
environment-friendly and economicalelectric-powered
“Trikebayan” (which does not emit any noise or carbon monoxide) at the Kapihan sa Sulo forum,
Sulo Hotel,Quezon City. The
Trikebayan costs only P 48 or $ 1.20 per day to operate, while a
gasoline-powered tricycle operation would cost P 200. Rolly
Concepcion, who conceptualized the Trikebayan, said that converting a tricycle
engine to electric costs P 68,000. The 36-watt rechargeable battery under the
passenger seat can run for 12 hours.
Vision
· “To see Puerto Princesa as model city in sustainable development.”
With the following concepts:
·
A park-like city demonstrating balance and harmony between
development and environment;
·
A center for eco-tours, healthful recreation, applied research on
ecology, ecosystem, marine and terrestrial flora and fauna and environmental
management;
·
A home for disciplined inhabitants who are responsible stewards of
the city’s ecological system and resources; their quality of life improved as
they enjoy directly or indirectly the bounties of nature and the fruits of
their labor; and;
·
Its major thoroughfares developed as boulevards, promenades and
stretches of tree-lined and coastal highways interspersed with parks and
resorts and provided with appropriate facilities for tourism, agriculture,
commerce and environment-friendly industries.
