SENADO 2016, sino nga ba?

Franklin M. Drilon

Liberal Party

Born: November 28, 1945, Molo, Iloilo 

 

Having held the position of Senate President for the longest time in post-Edsa period marks Franklin Drilon’s unique brand of leadership whose political experience has crossed the three branches of government. His long history in government service began in 1986, the significant year that witnessed the restoration of democratic institutions after former President Marcos’ twenty-year authoritarian rule after he was appointed by President Corazon Aquino to serve as Deputy Minister of Labor and Industrial Relations.

 

 

In the inaugural session of the present 16th Congress, Drilon once again assumed leadership of the Upper Chamber as Senate President, marking his fourth time as third most influential official of the country. Under his direction, the Senate has passed 148 bills of local and national nature and 89 were enacted into laws.

 

He is also prominently known as the Liberal Party’s (LP) president and chairman and a staunch ally of the incumbent President Benigno Aquino III.  

 

In 2010, Drilon authored a law that created an oversight body for all government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) so as to ensure fiscal responsibility in their corporate dealings.

 

He also assumed chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means where he lobbied for the enactment of the Sin Tax Law, a measure that would impose higher taxes on cigarettes and alcoholic liquors. The law stems from his personal desire to stop people from cigarette dependence and avoid lung cancer, a subject close to his heart with the deadly disease taking his first wife, Violeta-Calvo Drilon in 1995.

 

After joining former President Corazon Aquino’s cabinet, he served as Justice Secretary from 1990 to 1991 and Executive Secretary from 1991 to 1992. During the administration of former President Fidel Ramos, he assumed his old post at the Justice department from 1992 to 1995 where he introduced a monitoring system that enabled him to personally supervise over 250 000 cases filed in Prosecution Offices all over the country. Moreover, the young justice secretary was instrumental in the resolution of several high-profile criminal cases such as the prosecution and conviction of Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez who masterminded the rape-slay of UP Los Banos student Eileen Sarmienta, as well as putting behind bars Claudio Teehanke, Jr., son of former justice Claudio Teehankee Sr., who was involved in the gun slaying of Maureen Hultman.

  

Drawing on his experience from the judiciary, Drilon decided to run for senator in 1995 under the Lakas-Laban coalition with the slogan, “Kontra sa Krimen, Justice Agad!” He placed fourth in the elections and true to his word, the rookie senator sought to address the problems he encountered in his experience with the judiciary by filing several measures to improve the country’s justice system specifically aiming to streamline the sluggish pace of trials of cases in courts and de-clog the court dockets.

 

For his legislative productivity in his first year in Senate, he was voted by the Senate press corps as “Most Promising” among other first-time senators.  

 

However, even after his much-esteemed professional success, Drilon suffered a big blow with the death of his wife Violeta who succumbed to lung cancer in September 1995, just two months after he assumed a seat in the Senate. In memory of his wife, he set up the Violeta Calvo-Drilon foundation to continue his wife’s charitable works. The foundation’s primary project is the School Milk Feeding Program which distributes free milk to primary students in public schools.

 

Violeta’s death left Drilon devoting more time to public service in the Senate so much so that he has actually recorded a consistent perfect attendance since becoming senator in 1995. Due to his impressive track record and work ethic, he soon rose to the ranks and assumed the post of Senate majority leader and later on, Senate President.

 

He has served at the helm of several government agencies including but not limited to leading the Presidential Committee on Human Rights, Philippine National Bank, National Labor Relations Commissions, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Employee Compensation Commission, National Manpower and Youth Council, National Wages Council among several others.  

 

Drilon earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1965 and his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1969. During his stay in law school, he became a member of the Order of the Purple Feather, the honors society of the UP College of Law as well as the UP Sigma Rho Fraternity. On the same year as his graduation, the young Drilon took the bar exam and ranked third place.

 

Prior to his appointment as Labor Minister in 1986, Drilon worked for one of the country’s top law firms, the Angara, Abelo, Concepcion, Regala and Cruz (ACCRA) Law Offices where after 12 years, he emerged as the firm’s managing partner.

 

He married to Mila Serrano-Genuino two years after the death of his first wife and has two children, Eliza and Patrick with his first wife.

 

References:

<https://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/senpres/drilon.asp>

 

<http://worldlibrary.org/articles/Franklin_Drilon>

 

<http://www.rappler.com/nation/34460-drilon-new-senate-president>

 

<http://globalnation.inquirer.net/129814/ph-committed-to-peaceful-settlement-in-south-china-sea-says-drilon>

 

<http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/707135/drilon-passing-of-foi-a-priority-before-aquinos-term-ends>

 

<http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/748456/148-bills-package-of-new-legislation-passed-by-senate-in-2015-drilon>