Franklin Drilon

Franklin Drilon (born November 28, 1945) is a Filipino Politician who served as President of the Senate of the Philippines in 2000, from 2001 to 2006, and again from 2013. Drilon currently serves his third term in the Senate, and his third term as Senate President. He is also the Chairman of the Liberal Party and a Senior Counsel of the ACCRA Law Offices.

Early life and career

Drilon was born on November 28, 1945 in Iloilo City, Iloilo and is the eldest son of Cesar Drilon, Sr. and Primitiva Magtunao. He took his elementary education at the Baluarte Elementary School in Molo, Iloilo, Iloilo and graduated in 1957. He finished his secondary education at the U.P. - Iloilo College (now University of the Philippines High School in Iloilo) in 1961.

In college, he went to the University of the Philippines where he initially received the Bachelor of Arts in 1965. At U.P., he was the associate editor of the Philippine Collegian and served as councilor of the U.P. Student Council. Among his classmates were future politicians Miriam Defensor Santiago and Ronaldo Zamora. In 1969, he completed his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) at the U.P. College of Law. In the same year he took the bar examination and finished with the third highest score.

In the same year, he served as an associate lawyer to the Sycip, Salazar, Luna, Manalo & Feliciano Law Offices (now SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan). He moved to the Angara, Abello, Concepcion, Regala & Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW) in 1974, where he currently serves as Senior Counsel. He was elevated to partner in 1975, co-managing partner in 1981 and managing partner in 1986.

He was also a Bar Examiner on Labor and Social Legislation in the 1979 and 1984 bar examinations. He also became the Vice-President and Governor of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) and the Vice-President, Board Member and Treasurer of the Personnel Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP). He also received his honorary degree (Honoris Causa) from Central Philippine University.

Political Career (1987-1995)

Drilon served the government and public corporations through the following positions:

• Department of Justice
  • Secretary, (1990–1991; 1992–1995)
  • Chairman, Board of Pardons and Parole
  • Member, Judicial and Bar Council (JBC)
  • Member, National Unification Commission
  • Chairman, Presidential Committee on Human Rights (PCHR)
• Executive Secretary (1991–1992)
  • Chairman, Cabinet Cluster on Political & Security Matters (Cluster "E")
  • Member, National Security Council (NSC)
  • Vice-Chairman, Committee on Privatization (COP)

Member, Joint Legislative-Executive Foreign Debt Council

• Department of Labor and Employment
  • Secretary, (1987–1990)
  • Deputy Minister for Industrial Relations, Department of Labor and Employment (1986–1987)
  • Member, Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC)
  • Commissioner, Social Security Commission
  • Chairman, National Labor Relations Commission
  • Chairman, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration
  • Chairman, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
  • Chairman, Employee Compensation Commission
  • Trustee, Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund)
  • Board Member, National Housing Authority
  • Chairman, National Manpower and Youth Council
  • Chairman, National Wages Council
  • Chairman, National Maritime Polytechnic
  • Vice-Chairman, Public Sector Labor-Management Counci
  • Chairman, Philippine National Bank (PNB)
  • Director, Philippine Air Lines (PAL)
  • Director, Land Bank of the Philippines
  • Board Member, Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation
  • Board Member, Population Commission
  • Cabinet Officer for Regional Development (CORD) of Region VI

As Justice Secretary, he was instrumental in the prosecution and conviction of Mayor Antonio Sanchez of Calauan, Laguna, who masterminded the rape-slaying of a UP Los Baños coed and the murder of her friend; and Claudio Teehankee, Jr., who figured in the gun slaying of Maureen Hultman. Both cases ended up in convictions.

Senator of the Philippines

First term (1995-2001)

In 1992, most of the Aquino cabinet were drafted for the Senate candidate line-up of the newly created party Lakas Tao. But Drilon opted to help Mrs. Aquino finish her term. He was again given the opportunity to run as a Senatorial candidate of the Lakas–Laban coalition in the 1995 election. He got the fourth highest number of votes in that Senate race. In 1998, he bolted Lakas and joined the Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino (LAMMP) and supported Joseph Estrada to the presidency. He was selected as Senate Majority Floor Leader the same year. In 1999, he was among who voted in favor on the ratification of the Visiting Forces Agreement.

Second term (2001-2007)

Senator Drilon at speaking engagement in Zamboanga.

Drilon ran again for the Senate as independent but was under the People Power Coalition senatorial line-up. The lineup was carefully chosen and the first letter of the candidate's surname (except for Roberto Pagdanganan) ended up with the line VOT FOR D CHAMMP. The line became a hit, and it led to the election of most of the coalition's senatorial candidates including Drilon. He again served as Senate President from 2001 to 2006. And from 2006 to the end of his second term as Senator on 2007, Drilon served as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and worked firmly for the enactment of the new national budget law on 2007.

Third term (2010–present)

Drilon was re-elected to the Philippine Senate in 2010 was senator as 15 years (1995-2010). He served as the Assistant Majority Leader and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and led the Senate in enacting the national budget laws on time for 2011, 2012 and 2013. He likewise primarily authored a law that creates an oversight body of all government owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) which would check them from incurring financial excesses and as well as ensuring their financial stability and makes them fiscally responsible . On 2012, after Senator Ralph Recto stepped down as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, Drilon as its Vice-Chairman took over as its new Chairman and worked firmly for the enactment of the Sin Tax Law that would impose higher taxes on the cigarettes and liquors. Drilon proudly called it as "anti-cancer law" for he firmly believes that the law would discourage the people from taking cigarettes so that they will not suffer lung cancer.

During the impeachment trial of then Chief Justice Renato Corona in early 2012, he acted as one of the Senator-Judges and later voted for his conviction and removal from office and disqualification from holding any elective or appointive government office.

Senate Presidency

First term (2000)

When Marcelo Fernan died of cancer the same year, he made concessions with Blas Ople in sharing the seat of the Senate President. They agreed that Ople will serve as Senate President from 1999–2000 and he would serve from 2000-2001. Ople served his term from July 1999-July 2000. Drilon was installed as Senate President in July 2000. On October 2000 he issued a statement about the Juetengate Scandal of President Joseph Estrada. He was removed the next month through a Senate revamp and Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. was installed as Senate President. On December 2000, an impeachment case was filed on the Senate. On January 13, 2001, he was one of those who voted in favor of the opening of the second bank envelope. Their vote was outnumbered and Drilon was remembered as the Senator who cried in front of Senate President Pimentel together with Senator Loren Legarda. Joseph Estrada was ousted in January by the second EDSA People Power Revolution. He allowed Pimentel to occupy the Senate Presidency until the end of the regular session on June 2001.

Second term (2001-2006)

When the session resumed in July 2001, Pimentel was replaced by Drilon as Senate President. Pimentel bolted the administration coalition and joined forces with the opposition coalition. In 2003, Administration coalition partner Liberal Party, to which Arroyo's father, Diosdado Macapagal served as chairman in the 60's, invited Drilon to be its member. Days after, Drilon was elected chairman of the political party. Before the 2004 elections, Drilon invited Senator Rodolfo Biazon as its member. Biazon bolted Raul Roco's Aksyon Demokratiko {AD} just days after he joined convention as its new member.

Drilon had close contacts with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo since 2001 and actively supported her when she ran for a fresh mandate to the presidency. That relationship ended in July 8 when Drilon together with Biazon and some prominent members of the Liberal Party decided to withdraw support from her and asked for her resignation. In Arroyo's 2005 State of the Nation Address, Drilon was the only one noticed not applauding throughout the entire program. Drilon has been a vocal critic of the NorthRail project, a Chinese government-backed project to overhaul Manila's decrepit railway system. The railway will be the first double-tracked railway in the country, and will eventually extend to Clark in Pampanga and, say the architects, as far north as San Fernando, La Union. During his second term as Senate President, Drilon spearheaded the Senate in confronting the excesses of the Executive branch by authorizing the Senate standing committees to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation and led the Chamber in opposing the Executive Order No. 264 which prohibits the Members of the Cabinet from going into the hearings of the Congress, the Senate in particular without permission from the President and in opposing the Proclamation No. 1017 which imposes state of national emergency in the country. The Supreme Court sustained the Senate's stand on the two issues. He was hailed by all as the leading defender of the Senate's independence and of its constitutional duties. Drilon likewise led the Senate in opposing moves by the House of Representatives to amend the Constitution that would supposedly shift the legislature to unicameral legislature and abolish the Senate. In 2006, Drilon was succeeded as Senate President by Senator Manny Villar in accordance with a term-sharing agreement they forged in early 2004.

Third term (2013-)

Halfway through the Presidency of Benigno Aquino III, Drilon won the majority of votes after being voted as Senate President, following the resignation of former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. It was predicted long after the Resignation of Enrile, that Drilon would have the majority. Enrile was subsequently elected as Minority Leader

Personal life

Drilon was married to fellow lawyer and ACCRA senior partner Violeta Calvo with whom he had two children, Eliza and Patrick. During his candidacy for a Senate seat in 1995, Drilon often traveled to the US to be with his wife who was then being treated for lung cancer. Mrs. Drilon died of the disease in September 1995, two months after her husband assumed his Senate seat. Two years after, Drilon proposed to close family friend Mila Serrano-Genuino, who was a widow. They married with former Presidents Aquino and Ramos as wedding sponsors.

Senator Drilon praying during the reopening of the [[Manila Cathedral]]

Drilon is a member of the Rotary Club, Makati Chapter. He was an active member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) where he was a former President of the Pasay–Makati–Mandaluyong–San Juan Chapter. Although he was born in Iloilo, he is a registered voter of Greenhills, San Juan.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Franklin Drilon.

• Senate of the Philippines
• Franklin Drilon's Assets and Liabilities
• Frankahan: The (Opinionated) Blog of Franklin Drilon

Senatorial history of Franklin Drilon <15th Senators of the 16th Congress of the Philippines (2013-2016) 17th> Senate President Franklin Drilon Senior Senators (2010–2016) Junior Senators (2013–2019) Pia Cayetano Franklin Drilon Juan Ponce Enrile Jinggoy Estrada Teofisto Guingona III Lito Lapid Bongbong Marcos Sergio Osmeña III Ralph Recto Bong Revilla Miriam Defensor Santiago Tito Sotto Sonny Angara Bam Aquino Nancy Binay Alan Peter Cayetano Joseph Victor Ejercito Francis Escudero Gregorio Honasan Loren Legarda Aquilino Pimentel III Grace Poe Antonio Trillanes IV Cynthia Villar Term ends June 30, 2016 Term ends June 30, 2019 <14th Senators of the 15th Congress of the Philippines (2010-2013) 16th> Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (2010–2013) # Jinggoy Estrada (2013) ## Senior Senators (2007–2013) Junior Senators (2010–2016) Edgardo Angara Joker Arroyo Alan Peter Cayetano Francis Escudero Gregorio Honasan Panfilo Lacson Loren Legarda Francis Pangilinan Aquilino Pimentel III (2011–present)### Antonio Trillanes IV Manny Villar Juan Miguel Zubiri (2007–11)### Vacant (since 2010)#### Pia Cayetano Miriam Defensor Santiago Franklin Drilon Jinggoy Estrada Teofisto Guingona III Lito Lapid Bongbong Marcos Sergio Osmeña III Juan Ponce Enrile Ralph Recto Bong Revilla Tito Sotto Term ends June 30, 2013 Term ends June 30, 2016 # — Ponce Enrile was also the Senate president of the 14th Congress. ##—Estrada is in acting capacity after Ponce Enrile takes his resignation. ### —Zubiri resigned from office on August 3, 2011, replaced by Pimentel afterwards. #### — Vacant due to election of Benigno Aquino III to the presidency. <12th Senators of the 13th Congress of the Philippines (2004-2007) 14th> Senate President Manny Villar (2006-2007) # Franklin Drilon (2004-2006) Senior Senators (2001-2007) Junior Senators (2004-2010) Edgardo Angara Joker Arroyo Franklin Drilon Loi Estrada Juan Flavier Panfilo Lacson Sergio Osmeña III Francis Pangilinan Ramon Magsaysay, Jr. Ralph Recto Manny Villar Vacant ## Rodolfo Biazon Lito Lapid Jinggoy Estrada Pia Cayetano Miriam Defensor Santiago Richard Gordon Alfredo Lim ### Jamby Madrigal Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. Juan Ponce Enrile Bong Revilla Mar Roxas Term ended June 30, 2007 Term ended June 30, 2010 # — Villar became the next Senate president during the 14th Congress. ## — Position vacated when Noli de Castro was elected to the vice presidency. ### — In 2007, Lim vacated his position prior to his election as the mayor of Manila. <11th Senators of the 12th Congress of the Philippines (2001-2004) 13th> Senate President Franklin Drilon (2001-2004) # Senior Senators (1998-2004) Junior Senators (2001-2007) Teresa Aquino-Oreta Robert Barbers Rene Cayetano ## Teofisto Guingona, Jr.‡ Gregorio Honasan ‡ Robert Jaworski Loren Legarda Blas Ople ‡‡ John Henry Osmeña Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. Ramon Revilla, Sr. Tito Sotto Edgardo Angara Joker Arroyo Franklin Drilon Luisa Estrada Noli de Castro ‡‡‡ Juan Flavier Panfilo Lacson Sergio Osmeña III Francis Pangilinan Ramon Magsaysay, Jr. Ralph Recto Manny Villar Term ended June 30, 2004 Term ended June 30, 2007 # — 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. <10th Senators of the 11th Congress of the Philippines (1998-2001) 12th> Senate President Marcelo Fernan (1998-1999)† Blas Ople (1999-2000) Franklin Drilon (2000) Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. (2000-2001) Senior Senators (1995-2001) Junior Senators (1998-2004) Nikki Coseteng Franklin Drilon Juan Ponce Enrile Marcelo Fernan† Gregorio Honasan Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Ramon Magsaysay, Jr. Sergio Osmeña III Raul Roco Miriam Defensor Santiago Francisco Tatad Teresa Aquino-Oreta Robert Barbers Rene Cayetano # Teofisto Guingona, Jr. ‡ Gregorio Honasan ‡ Robert Jaworski Loren Legarda Blas Ople ‡‡ John Henry Osmeña Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. Ramon Revilla, Sr. Tito Sotto Term ended June 30, 2001 Term ended June 30, 2004 † — Position vacated when Fernan died in 1999. # — 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. <9th Senators of the 10th Congress of the Philippines (1995-1998) 11th> Senate President Neptali Gonzales (1995-1996, 1998) Ernesto Maceda(1996-1998) Senior Senators (1992-1998) Junior Senators (1995-2001) Heherson Alvarez Edgardo Angara Neptali Gonzales Ernesto Herrera Ernesto Maceda Orlando Mercado Blas Ople Ramon Revilla, Sr. Alberto Romulo Leticia Ramos-Shahani Tito Sotto Freddie Webb Nikki Coseteng Franklin Drilon Juan Ponce Enrile Marcelo Fernan† Juan Flavier Gregorio Honasan Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Ramon Magsaysay, Jr. Sergio Osmeña III Raul Roco Miriam Defensor Santiago Francisco Tatad Term ended June 30, 1998 Term ended June 30, 2001 † — Position vacated when Fernan died in 1999.