Fernando López

For other people named Fernando López, see Fernando López (disambiguation).
Fernando López
Fernando López
8th Vice President of the Philippines
In office
December 30, 1965  September 23, 1972[1]
President Ferdinand Marcos
Preceded by Emmanuel Pelaez
Succeeded by Abolished[2]
Title next held by Arturo Tolentino
4th Vice President of the Philippines
In office
December 30, 1949  December 30, 1953
President Elpidio Quirino
Preceded by Vacant[3]
Title last held by Elpidio Quirino
Succeeded by Carlos P. García
Senator of the Philippines
In office
December 30, 1953  December 30, 1965
In office
December 30, 1947  December 30, 1949
Mayor of Iloilo City
In office
1945  December 30, 1947
Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources
In office
1965–1971
President Ferdinand Marcos
Preceded by Jose Y. Feliciano
Succeeded by Arturo R. Tanco
In office
December 30, 1949  December 30, 1953
President Elpidio Quirino
Preceded by Placido Mapa
Succeeded by Placido Mapa
Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources
In office
1965–1971
President Elpidio Quirino
Preceded by Placido Mapa
Succeeded by Placido Mapa
9th Senate President pro tempore of the Philippines
In office
1958–1965
President Carlos P. Garcia
Diosdado Macapagal
Preceded by Manuel Briones
Succeeded by Lorenzo Sumulong
Chairman, ABS-CBN Corporation
In office
February 28, 1986  May 26, 1993
Preceded by Eugenio Lopez, Sr.
Roberto Benedicto (as Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation)
Succeeded by Eugenio Lopez, Jr.
Personal details
Born Fernando Hofileña López
April 13, 1904
Iloilo City
Died May 26, 1993 (aged 89)
Iloilo City
Nationality Filipino
Political party Liberal (1945-53)
Democratic (1953-59)
Nacionalista (1959-71)
Spouse(s) Mariquit Javellana
Religion Roman Catholicism

Fernando Hofileña López, Sr. (April 13, 1904  May 26, 1993) was a Filipino statesman. A member of the influential López Family of Iloilo, Fernando López served as Vice President of the Philippines for three terms under Elpidio Quirino (19491953) for the Liberals and Ferdinand Marcos (19651969 and 19691972) for the Nacionalistas and also the chariman of ABS-CBN Corporation from 1986 to his death 1993.

Early life and career

López was born on April 13, 1904 in Iloilo City, Iloilo to Benito López and Presentación Hofileña. He is the younger brother of Eugenio López, Sr. The López family was very influential and the richest family in the province.

López studied high school at San Juan de Letran College, finishing in 1921. He then studied law in the University of Santo Tomas, earning his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1925. After passing the bar examinations, he did not go into private practice, but helped his older brother manage the family business.

In 1945, with no prior political experience, López was picked by President Sergio Osmeña to be mayor of Iloilo City. In 1947, he ran for Senator and won the election.

López was one of the founders of University of Iloilo and the FEATI University in Manila.

The López family also owned the Iloilo-Negros Air Express Company (the first Filipino owned air service), the Iloilo Times (El Tiempo), the Manila Chronicle and ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, LSC (Lopez Sugar Corporation), Bayantel (including Bayan DSL), SkyCable(including SkyBroadband), Meralco, RLC (Rockwell Land Corporation), Rockwell Center, First Balfour, Inc., Philippine Electric Corporation (Philec), First Electro Dynamics Corporation (Fedcor), First Sumiden Circuits, Inc. (FSCI), Securities Transfer Services, Inc. (STSI), The Medical City (TMC), BayanTrade DotCom, First Gas Holdings Corporation (Santa Rita), FGP. Corp. (San Lorenzo), FG Hydro Power Corporation (Pantabangan-Masiway), FG Bukidnon (Agusan mini-hydro), Bauang Private Power Corporation (Bauang), Panay Electric Company(PECO), First Philippine Industrial Corporation (the major fuel distributor of Shell and Chevron Caltex in the country), First Philippine Realty Corp, First Philippine Electric Corp. (First Philec), First Philec Solar Corporation, First Sumiden Circuits, Inc. (FSCI), First Sumiden Realty, Inc, First Philippine Industrial Park

Vice-Presidency

First Term

In 1949, he became vice-president under President Elpidio Quirino and concurrently worked as secretary of agriculture, serving until 1953. He was then elected once again as senator, and re-elected in 1959.

Second and Third Term

In 1965, he ran with Ferdinand Marcos and won as vice-president. He was re-elected in 1969. By the time martial law was declared in 1972, the López family fell out of Marcos' favor and was targeted by the dictatorship because of their denunciations of Marcos' corruption. They were also targeted due to their family's political influence, being members of the entrenched oligarchy. The position of vice-president was dissolved, and the López family was stripped of most of its political and economic assets.

Later life and death

From 1986 to 1993, he became Chairman of First Philippine Holdings and ABS-CBN and Honorary Chair of FHL Holdings.

He died on May 26, 1993 leaving his wife Mariquit Javellana with whom he had six children: Yolanda, Fernando, Jr. (Junjie), Alberto (Albertito), Emmanuele, Benito and Mita.

References

  1. Ratification date of the 1973 Constitution, per Presidential Proclamation No. 1102 issued by President Ferdinand E. Marcos
  2. (Marcos vacated the office of the vice-president when the 1973 constitution was promulgated.)
  3. No vice president was appointed after Quirino assumed the Presidency from Roxas, as it was not required by the 1935 Constitution
Preceded by
Roberto Benedicto (as BBC-2)
ABS-CBN Chairman
February 28, 1986 May 26, 1993
Succeeded by
Eugenio Lopez, Jr.
Political offices
Vacant
Title last held by
Elpidio Quirino
Vice President of the Philippines
December 30, 1949 – December 30, 1953
Succeeded by
Carlos P. Garcia
Preceded by
Emmanuel Pelaez
Vice President of the Philippines
December 30, 1965 – January 17, 1973
Vacant
Office abolished; due to martial law
Title next held by
Arturo Tolentino