Jovito Salonga
12th President of the Senate of the Philippines | |
---|---|
In office July 27, 1987 – January 18, 1992 | |
Preceded by | Abolished (Title last held by Gil Puyat) |
Succeeded by | Neptali A. Gonzales, Sr. |
1st Chairman of the Presidential Commission on Good Government | |
In office February 28, 1986 – March 5, 1987 | |
President | Corazon Aquino |
Succeeded by | Ramon A. Diaz |
Senator of the Philippines | |
In office June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1992 | |
In office December 30, 1965 – September 23, 1972[1] | |
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Rizal's 2nd district | |
In office December 30, 1961 – December 30, 1965 | |
Preceded by | Francisco S. Sumulong |
Succeeded by | Frisco F. San Juan |
Personal details | |
Born | Jovito Reyes Salonga June 22, 1920 Pasig, Rizal, Philippine Islands |
Died | March 10, 2016 Quezon City, Philippines | (aged 95)
Nationality | Filipino |
Political party | Liberal (1961-2016) |
Spouse |
Lydia Busuego
(m. 1948; died 2010) |
Children | 5 |
Alma mater | University of the Philippines Diliman (LL.B) Harvard University (LL.M) Yale University (SJD) |
Profession | Politician, lawyer |
Jovito Reyes Salonga,
Early life and education
Jovito Salonga was born in poverty in
World War II hero
A few months after the Japanese invasion in December 1941, Salonga went underground and engaged in anti-Japanese activities. In April 1942, he was captured and tortured by the Japanese Military Police in Pasig in the presence of his aging father. [citation needed] He was transferred to Fort Santiago and several other prisons where he was subjected to further persecution. On June 11, 1942, he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor by the Japanese and incarcerated at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa, but was pardoned on the Foundation Day of Japan (Kigen Setsu) in 1943.[3]
American education
After passing the bar, he went back to the U.P. College of Law where he earned an LL.B in 1946. He traveled to the U.S. when he won a scholarship to attend
Salonga returned to the Philippines to pursue teaching and the practice of law. He authored several books on corporate law and international law, and was appointed Dean of the
Central Philippine University and Silliman University, which were founded by Protestant Americans, conferred him with honorary degrees.[5]
Political career (1961–1987)
House of Representatives
In 1960, he was persuaded by Vice President Diosdado Macapagal, then president of the Liberal Party (LP), one of the two dominant political parties in the Philippines at the time, to run for Congress in the second district of Rizal, where two political dynasties dominated the bureaucracy. Salonga helped build the party from the grassroots, largely with the support of disgruntled young people who responded to the issues he raised, particularly the entrenchment of the political ruling class and their families in seats of governments, a major cause of disenchantment among the masses. In the November 1961 elections, he bested his two opponents by an overwhelming margin.[citation needed]
Shortly after his election, he tangled with one of the best debaters of the opposing party, the Nationalista Party (NP), on the issue of proportional representation in various committees. He also composed a seminal article, published and editorialized in various papers, on the Philippines' territorial claim to North Borneo (Sabah). With the election of Cornelio Villareal (LP, Capiz) as Speaker of the House, Salonga was appointed to the chairmanship of the prestigious Committee on Good Government and led the committee in conducting inquires in aid of legislation relentlessly about the prevailing graft and corruption in the government and recommended filing of charges against some government officials and employees. In June 1962, President Macapagal filed the Philippine petition against Malaysia's alleged illegal expropriation of North Borneo. Salonga was appointed to head the delegation in the January 1963 London negotiations. [citation needed]
Senate
After one term, Salonga was chosen to run for Senate under the LP banner in the
He ran for re-election in 1971. Along with some members of the Liberal Party, he was critically injured on the
He returned to the political arena and embarked on a successful law career. He protested martial law and was unjustly arrested. After his release from military custody, he was offered a visiting scholarship at Yale, where he engaged in the revision of his book on international law. He completed his book on the Marcos years, which included a program for a new democratic Philippines. [citation needed]
Martial law years
The imposition of martial law in September 1972 was the catalyst that radicalized hundreds of oppositionists and the pretext to arrest and imprison many of them, including moderate ones. Salonga openly and vigorously opposed it, and he and his law partners, future
In October 1980, after the bombing of the Philippine International Convention Center, Marcos again ordered Salonga's arrest; this time he was detained at Fort Bonifacio without any formal charges and investigation. He was allowed to leave with his wife for the U.S. in March 1981, to attend several international conferences and undergo medical procedures. Right after their departure, subversion charges—supposedly a well-known Marcos tactic to scare off his enemies from ever returning—were filed against him. Jovito and Lydia Salonga lived in self-exile in Hawaii, then moved to
EDSA People Power
The assassination of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. in August 1983 prompted Salonga to return to the Philippines on January 21, 1985, to help resuscitate his party and unite democratic opposition. A month later, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed subversion charges against him. He was elected president of the Liberal Party.
PCGG chairman
Shortly after the EDSA Revolution, President Corazon Aquino, Aquino's widow, appointed Salonga Chair of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), which was tasked with investigating and recovering the alleged ill-gotten wealth of Marcos and cronies.
As chairman of the Commission on Good Government, he "filed and perfected" the government's claim to the Marcos Swiss deposits through the Swiss lawyers dr. Salvioni, dr. Fontanet and Leuenberger. His unwavering pursuit of the Marcos ill-gotten wealth was, in one senator's words, the "moral equivalent of a war". His efforts were rewarded when the government sequestrated
In 2000, the Swiss federal Court, after 14 years of litigation, decided to forfeit the corrupt Marcos funds received by the Swiss Credit bank in Zurich,[6] and delivered to the nation's government more than US$680,000,000. The commission also petitioned to expropriate several real estate properties and several of the nation's largest corporations that the Philippine government claim were bought through blackmail or money the Marcos family allegedly plundered from the Treasury. [citation needed]
Senate presidency (1987–1992)
After his one-year stint in the PCGG, he was drafted to run for the senate in the 1987 elections. [citation needed] For the third time, he won the number one spot in the senatorial race. He was subsequently elected as Senate President due to his colleagues' respect for his long standing career as lawyer, lawmaker and defender of human rights.
Legislation
Elected as Senate President by his peers, and as Senator by the people, Salonga authored three major legislative measures: the "Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (R.A. 6713)", the "Anti-Coup d'état Act (R.A. 6968)", and the "Anti-Plunder Law (R.A. 7080)". In April 1990, he was conferred a Doctor of Laws degree,
Salonga, despite limited means, won three senatorial elections, garnering the largest number of votes under three different administrations: that of Diosdado Macapagal, Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon Aquino. He has successfully legislated the State Scholarship Law, the Disclosure of Interest Act, the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, and the Act Defining and Penalizing the Crime of Plunder.[citation needed]
Rejection of the Phil–U.S. Bases Treaty
In September 1991, Salonga personally organized the group of 12 senators called "The Magnificent Twelve" in rejecting the R.P.-U.S. Bases Treaty. Salonga gave the vote that broke the tie stating in his speech that awards did not mean that much to him anymore.[7]
Removal as Senate President
In December 1991, he was ousted from his position as President of the Senate on the charge that he was using his post to boost his chances of becoming the President of the Philippines in the 1992 election in which he is a candidate, that he was obstructing the priority legislative measures of the Aquino administration, and that he was neglecting the administration the Senate, and was succeeded by Senator
1992 presidential election
He then launched a bid for the presidency in 1992, running under the Liberal Party with
Post-Senate presidency
Activities
After his retirement from government service, he continued work in public service through Kilosbayan (People Action), a forum for raising political consciousness and citizens' participation in governance; the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation (Heroes' Memorial), a private entity that honors the nation's martyrs and heroes for their sacrifices during martial law; and Bantay Katarungan (Sentinel of Justice), an organization that seeks to improve the administration of justice in the Philippines through the systematic monitoring of courts and quasi-judicial agencies by selected students from leading law schools.
On September 14, 2007, Salonga resigned as member of a minor fraternity in the University of the Philippines, Diliman. They are the so-called Sigma Rho fraternity. Salonga resigned after their crime and implication in the hazing death of University of the Philippines, Diliman student, 20-year-old Cris Mendez. Salonga joined Sigma Rho in the 1940s.[9] Salonga stated the reason for his resignation to be "because of recent events in which Sigma Rho has been involved." The NBI issued subpoenas to the Sigma Rho fraternity, but none of its members admitted responsibility for the brutal murder or shed light on the truth. Mendez suffered "bruises all over his body, particularly on the back of his arms and thighs."[10] On September 17, 2007, the "Grand Archon Emeritus" (leading alumnus of this Sigma Rho fraternity) attempted to save face by demanding an apology from Salonga over remarks against the fraternity. Their lawyer Tony Meer, a fellow member concocted a rouse to distract the public and stated: "I don't think its fair to us. I think he owes us an apology." The requested apology was never bestowed on them.[11] Meanwhile, the media, historians, and experts, including columnist and Sigma Kappa Pi Alumni President Jarius Bondoc praised Salonga for doing the right thing by rejecting this syndicate.
The Chair of Bantay Katarungan is former Secretary of Justice Sedfrey Ordoñez, who had been Salonga's law partner for over three decades. Salonga was a founder/adviser. Salonga remained active as a speaker, denouncing the moral and social ills in Philippine society. Since ending his political career in 1992, Salonga has been delivering lectures at such eminent universities such as the
Salonga was president of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) Constitutional Convention which took place September 1993 at Ellinwood-Malate Church in Manila. Always the nationalist, he persuaded the delegates to agree that the Filipino language text had equal weight to the English text. During the caucus, he was a calming influence and ran the assembly with a firm and fair hand.[citation needed]
Salonga wrote President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to warn her that the May 14, 2007, elections could turn out to be as "violent and fraudulent" as the Marcos-era polls. In an open letter to Secretary Eduardo Ermita, he stated that he saw Marcos in Arroyo, Ver in Esperon,[13] but was rebuffed. [citation needed] Arroyo rejected the concerns raised in Salonga's letter which mentioned that her decision to call out the military to help stop election violence and killings would make the May 14 polls similar to the violence- and fraud-tainted elections during the Marcos regime.[14]
Salonga branded the government's move to hand back an American citizen accused of rape, to the United States authorities as "a raw deal and a midnight transaction", whose victims were "Nicole" (the rape victim) and the country's justice system. Salonga claimed that a raw deal was done against "Nicole" and the judicial process by Judge Benjamin Pozon and the Court of Appeals under pressure from George W. Bush's government.[15]
Senator
On August 15, 2007, Salonga's book Not by Power or Wealth Alone was published.[16]
On August 24, 2007, Salonga's Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation launched a commemorative 200-page book, Bantayog ng mga Bayani (Monument of Heroes) at the Bantayog Memorial Center on Quezon Avenue corner EDSA to honor heroes, 160 Filipino student and community activists, priests, nuns, journalists, lawyers, Supreme Court justices and an Italian priest Tulio Favali, who was murdered in 1985 by a military-backed fanatic cult.[17]
Honors and recognition
Salonga received the
Final years and legacy
Salonga died on March 10, 2016, due to cardiac arrest at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City.[20]
Salonga has been called by his nephew Rene Saguisag (Saguisag used to call him Uncle Jovy though Salonga is actually the second cousin once removed of Saguisag, as his paternal grandmother Talia Saguisag is the first cousin of Salonga's mother Dinang Reyes) as the finest statesman or the best president we never had, while Joker Arroyo called him the most important historical figure who influenced the nation by his words alone. Bantayog ng mga Bayani renamed its main building in its compound as the Sen. Jovito R. Salonga Building. It houses the museum, amphitheater, and the office.[21] While Silliman University's law school houses the Dr. Jovito R. Salonga Center for Law and Development.
Subic Naval Base has the Inang Laya Monument which shows plaques that feature handprints of the twelve senators who voted to end the military bases agreement, with Salonga's famous speech that broke the tie included in the plaque.[22]
In 2022, Mayor Vico Sotto of Pasig, who called Salonga his biggest hero, named the Pasig Elementary School building the Jovito R. Salonga Building.[23]
Personal life
His spouse was Lydia Busuego whom he married in 1948,[2][24] who died due to complications from diabetes on April 20, 2010, she was 88.[citation needed] Salonga's children are Patricia, Victoria Regina, Ricardo, Esteban Fernando, and Eduardo.[2]
References
- ^ Original Term until December 30, 1977; cut short pursuant to the Declaration of Martial Law on September 23, 1972.
- ^ a b c Bueza, Michael (March 10, 2016). "Ex-Senate president Jovito Salonga dies". Rappler. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
- ^ "Out of shadow of death, emerged the nationalist" Archived 2009-06-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Panganiban, Artemio V. (April 29, 2018). "Diokno, Salonga and Teehankee".
- ^ Evoking the experiences of Martial Law – in remembrance of its declaration – Centralian Link. Retrieved 09-25-2020.
- ^ decision 1A.335/2005 (18.08.2006) in http://www.bger.ch/it/index/juridiction/jurisdiction-inherit-template/jurisdiction-recht/jurisdiction-recht-urteile2000.htm
- ^ Orejas, Torette (March 10, 2015). "Clark museum honors 'Magnificent 12'".
- ^ Biography of Senate President Gonzales – Senate of the Philippines Archived 2014-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Ex-Senate President Salonga Resigns From Fraternity After Hazing Death" Archived 2007-10-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Inquirer.net, Salonga resigns from Sigma Rho Archived 2008-09-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Sigma Rho alumni chief wants Salonga apology"[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Salonga Center: About Us" Archived 2009-04-16 at the Wayback Machine. Salonga Center. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
- ^ "Salonga sees Marcos in Arroyo, Ver in Esperon" – Inquirer.net, Philippine News for Filipinos Archived 2007-07-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Palace rebuffs Salonga" Archived 2007-07-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Nicole: "A stab in the back by Arroyo" Archived 2008-02-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "| Videos".
- ^ "Bantayog to launch book on Martial Law heroes" Archived 2008-02-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Former Sen. Jovito Salonga leads Magsaysay Awardees". The Manila Times. August 1, 2007. Archived from the original on January 9, 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
- ^ "Ramon Magsaysay Award recipients announced". International Herald Tribune. August 2, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2008.
- ^ "Former Senate President Jovito Salonga dies at 95". CNN Philippines. March 10, 2016. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
- ^ "SALONGA, Jovito R." November 29, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
- ^ "Inang Laya (Monument) Evertything You Need to Know Before You Go". 2016.
- ^ Guzman, Jimmyley (June 24, 2022). "New Pasig govt buildings to take names of prominent locals". Philippine Information Agency.
- ^ Azarcon–dela Cruz, Pennie (December 24, 2000). "The Man Who Could Have Been President". Sunday Inquirer Magazine. pp. 3–5, 15. Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via Google Books.
Further reading
- Doherty, John F.; Jovito R. Salonga (1982). Cronies and Enemies: The Current Philippine Scene. Honolulu: University of Hawaii.
- Salonga, Jovito R. (2000). Presidential Plunder: The Quest for the Marcos Ill-gotten Wealth. Manila: Regina. ISBN 971-8567-28-3.
- Salonga, Jovito R. (2001). A Journey of Struggle and Hope: The Memoir of Jovito R. Salonga. Manila: Regina. ISBN 971-8567-31-3.
- Salonga, Jovito R. (2003). The Intangibles that Make a Nation Great: Selected Speeches, Lectures, and Writings. Manila: Regina. ISBN 971-92791-1-7.
- Salonga, Jovito R. (2005). The Task of Building a Better Nation. Manila: Regina. ISBN 971-92791-3-3.
- Salonga, Jovito R. (2007). Not By Power or Wealth Alone. Manila: Regina.