John Henry Osmeña

John Henry R. Osmeña
Senator of the Philippines
In office
December 30, 1971 – September 23, 1972
In office
June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1995
In office
June 30, 1998 – June 30, 2004
18th President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines
In office
October 10, 1996 – July 12, 2000
President Joseph Estrada
Preceded by Blas Ople
Succeeded by Blas Ople
Member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Cebu's 3rd District
In office
June 30, 1995 – June 30, 1998
Preceded by Pablo Garcia
Succeeded by Antonio Yapha, Jr.
Member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Cebu's 2nd District
In office
December 30, 1969 – December 30, 1971
Preceded by Jose Briones
Succeeded by Crisologo Abines
Vice Mayor of Cebu City
In office
December 30, 1965 – December 30, 1969
Member of the Cebu City Council
In office
December 30, 1963 – December 30, 1965
Personal details
Born January 17, 1935 (1935-01-17) (age 77)
Cebu City, Philippines
Political party Liberal Party (1963–1992; 2009–)[1]
Other political
affiliations		 Genuine Opposition (2007)

NPC (1992–2007)
Independent (2004)
\
Spouse(s) Lucy Urgello (separated)
Children 1
Occupation Politician
Profession Politician
Religion Roman Catholic

John Henry Renner Osmeña (born January 17, 1935), also known as Sonny Osmeña or simply John Osmeña, is a former Senator of the Philippines (1971-1972, 1987–1995, 1998–2004). In Cebu City he started out as City Councilor in 1963, became the Vice-Mayor in 1968 and was elected to the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District the year after.

Contents

Political life

In 1970, he was named as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the country for his exemplary performance in Government Service.

At the Miting De Avance of the Liberal Party on Plaza Miranda on August 21, 1971, two grenades exploded one after other, killing 11 and leaving scores of people wounded. Both of Sen. Osmeña’s legs were badly injured.

Martial Law temporarily halted his political career. Immediately after President Ferdinand Marcos' declaration of martial law on September 23, 1972, Osmeña went on exile in the United States.

After the assassination of Former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino on August 21, 1983, he was the first political exile to return to the country to help in the fight against the Marcos dictatorship.

He was appointed officer-in-charge mayor of Cebu City in 1986. He was again elected Senator in 1987 and in 1992. He became the Representative of the 3rd District of Cebu in 1995 before clinching the senatorial post in the 1998 elections.

Laws authored

Osmeña sponsored among others, a number of development-oriented bills like The Municipal Telephone Act (Republic Act 6849) whereby each municipality will receive a telephone system; The Mini-Hydroelectric Program (RA 7156), which will provide non-conventional electricity in the countryside; The Public Telecommunications Act of 1995 (RA 7925), and the creation of the Philippine Postal Corporation (RA 7354). He also authored landmark bills like The Electric Power Crisis Act (RA 7648) and The Build-to-Operate Act (RA 7718).

He was also responsible for the creation of the Department of Energy (DOE) after his Senate Bill was signed into law by President Ramos in 1992 known as RA 7638.

Four bills were incorporated in Republic Act 9136 or otherwise known as The Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2000:

Controversy

In 2004, Osmeña was charged with sexual abuse,[2] for which the Department of Justice (DOJ, Republic of the Philippines) cleared because "there is no probable cause to indict respondent with the offense charged." [3]

In 2007, Vice Governor John Gregory Osmeña, the son of former Senator John Henry Osmeña, was charged by the PDEA for his involvement in the importation of 1,500 kg of pseudo-ephedrine.[4]

In 2004, Senator John Henry Osmeña sued Governor Gwen Garcia for plunder.[5]

Former Vice Governor John Gregory Osmeña, son of Senator John Henry Osmeña, was involved in the Perdido Lex Foundation scam. The staff of the office of the vice governor were the incorporators of Perdido Lex and the home address of the vice governor was utilized as the office of Perdido Lex. The said foundation was granted financial assistance by the Provincial Government for a bogus computerization program.http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/net/2004/02/05/accountant.denies.signing.perdido.lex.paper.html

Further reading

References

  1. ^ "LP TO SONNY: DON’T RUN, Party wants Cebu City ‘united’ under Bando Osmeña". Cebu Daily News. 2009-11-19. http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/news/view/20091119-237169/Party-wants-Cebu-City-united-under-Bando-Osmea. Retrieved 2010-06-03. 
  2. ^ "Sonny Accused of Call-Boy Rape". http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2004/04/01/news/sonny.accused.of.call.boy.rape..html. Retrieved 2004-04-01. 
  3. ^ Calica, Aurea. "DOJ Drops Case vs. John Osmeña". http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/hl/hl100868.htm. Retrieved 2004-08-18. 
  4. ^ / http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/apr1007/public_hard.htm /
  5. ^ [1]
Guanco • S. Osmeña • Clarin • Avelino • Quirino • Arranz • Paredes • Briones • Lopez • Sumulong • Roy • Guingona • Laurel • Shahani • Ople • J. Osmeña • Ople • Villar • Flavier • Estrada
# — Drilon's Senate presidency continued until 2006 during the 13th Congress.
## — Position vacated when Cayetano died in 2003.
‡ — The appointment of Gloria Arroyo to Guingona to vice presidency made his position to the Senate vacant from January 20, 2001.
On May 14, 2001, Honasan was elected to fill in Guingona's unfinished term until 2004.
‡‡ — Ople was appointed Foreign Affairs secretary in 2002.
‡‡‡ — In 2004, de Castro vacated his position when he was elected to the vice presidency.