Edgardo Angara

Edgardo Javier Angara (Tagalog pronunciation: [aŋˈɡara], September 24, 1934 – May 13, 2018)[1][2] was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as Senate President from 1993 to 1995. Angara had the second longest tenure in the history of the Senate, serving four terms and a total of twenty-three years. As a legislator, Angara has championed numerous important laws and bills including the free high school law, the Senior Citizen discount law, and many more.

For other uses, see Angara (disambiguation).
In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Javier and the surname or paternal family name is Angara.

The Honorable
Edgardo J. Angara
Angara in 2000
14th President of the Senate of the Philippines
In office
January 18, 1993 – August 28, 1995
Preceded byNeptali Gonzales
Succeeded byNeptali Gonzales
Senator of the Philippines
In office
June 30, 2001 – June 30, 2013
In office
June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1998
32nd Executive Secretary of the Philippines
In office
January 6, 2001 – January 20, 2001
PresidentJoseph Estrada
Preceded byRonaldo Zamora
Succeeded byRenato de Villa
35th Secretary of Agriculture
In office
May 25, 1999 – January 6, 2001
PresidentJoseph Estrada
Preceded byWilliam Dar
Succeeded byDomingo F. Panganiban
Senate Minority Leader
In office
August 28, 1995 – October 10, 1996
Preceded byWigberto Tañada
Succeeded byNeptali Gonzales
15th President of the University of the Philippines
In office
1981–1987
Preceded byEmanuel V. Soriano
Succeeded byJosé Abueva
Personal details
Born
Edgardo Javier Angara

(1934-09-24)September 24, 1934
Baler, Tayabas, Insular Government of the Philippine Islands
DiedMay 13, 2018(2018-05-13) (aged 83)
Tagaytay, Cavite, Philippines
Political partyLDP (1992-2018)
Other political
affiliations		Independent (1987–1992)
SpouseGloria Manalang
ChildrenRosalyn "Anna" Angara
Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara
Alexandria "Alex" Angara-Cole
Katerina "Katya" Angara
Alma materUniversity of the Philippines (LL.B)
University of Michigan (LL.M)
ProfessionLawyer

In between his Senate stints, Angara also served as Secretary of Agriculture from 1999 to 2001 and also held other government positions briefly.

Outside politics, Angara served as the President of the University of the Philippines and also established himself as one of the most important figures in the bar when he was elected president of the Philippine Bar Association, the nation's oldest voluntary bar society. In 1975, he also served as president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the country's unified association of lawyers.

His leadership was acknowledged even on a global scale. He was chosen to serve as the first president of the largest regional legal association in the world, the Association of Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) Law Association, when it was founded in 1980.

On May 17, 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Angara as the special envoy of the Philippines to the European Union.[3]

Early life and career

Edgardo Angara was born on September 24, 1934, in Baler, Aurora to Juan Angara and Juana Javier.[4][5] He earned his law degree from the University of the Philippines in 1958.[6] While in university, he joined the Sigma Rho fraternity.[7] Upon graduation, he was elected to the Pi Gamma Mu and Phi Kappa Phi international honor societies.[8] He earned his LL.M. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1964.[9]

Angara was a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention representing the first district of Quezon.[4] In May 1972, he together with classmates (and fraternity brothers from Sigma Rho) from the UP College of Law and Juan Ponce Enrile, founded the ACCRA Law Offices,[10] which became the country's most recognized and prestigious law firm in less than a decade. He became president of the Philippine Bar Association from 1975 to 1976, and of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines from 1979 to 1981. He also founded the ASEAN Law Association and became its founding president from 1980 to 1981.[9]

From 1981 to 1987, Angara became president of the University of the Philippines.[9] He rallied alumni in the country and abroad to pool their resources for various projects to mark the university's diamond jubilee in 1983, including the creation of additional professorial chairs and faculty grants. Through his efforts, the liberal arts curriculum was strengthened, a seven-year honors medical curriculum installed, humanities and science were energized, and a multi-campus university organization was instituted. He defended the state university's tradition of dissent and fiscal autonomy, while maintaining its reputation for academic excellence. He established stronger links with the business community and alumni organizations, raising the biggest faculty endowment in the university.

Senator of the Philippines (1987−1998)

Angara's achievements brought him into politics. He first served as senator from 1987 until 1992. By this time, he had established a reputation as a resolute reformer and firm leader, winning praise for his non-confrontational stance on contentious domestic and international issues, while building consensus at the same time.

On September 16, 1989, Angara led a one-day forum with Alfonso J. Aguirre for the centennial of José Rizal's essay "Filipinas dentro de cien años" ("The Philippines, a Century Hence").[11]

Senate Presidency (1993−1995)

He was Senate President from 1993 to 1995. As the Senate Chief, Angara, with his aggressive and consensus-building approach leadership style, rallied the upper chamber to pass bills and resolutions for an executive-legislative cooperation in economic reforms, which resulted in the Economic Summit of August 1993.[12] It was likewise during his term that the Senate adopted a policy to reimpose the death penalty for heinous crimes and saw the ratification of the Earth Summit treaty, along with five pro-environment treaties, many of which have already been enacted into law.[6]

In August 1995, he resigned from the Senate Presidency and was elected as the new Minority Leader of the Senate.

Educational and economic initiatives

As chairman of the Congressional Commission on Education from 1990 to 1991, Angara sponsored laws that resulted in the creation of the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skill Development Authority, both of which enabled the Department of Education to focus on its main concern - basic education.

He authored the Free High School Act that ensured secondary education even for the poorest; the Senior Citizens Act (or The Angara Law) that allowed the elderly to avail of substantial discounts when buying medicine or riding public transport; the National Health Insurance Act, or PHILHEALTH, that provided insurance to every citizen; and the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE), the biggest scholarship program.

Under his Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA), farmers and fisher folk benefited from improved seeds and plant materials, better irrigation, better financing and market access.

He authored the Magna Carta for Public Health Workers and was the principal author of the laws that created the new National Museum and the National Commission on Culture and the Arts.

1998 vice presidential bid

Angara prepared to run for president in the 1998 Philippine election, but decided against it when it became clear that he could not win over the popular vice president Joseph Estrada. He accepted a deal offered by Estrada to run as his vice presidential candidate.[13] Although Estrada overwhelmingly won the presidential race, Angara placed second in a field of 9 candidates, losing to Senator Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino. Macapagal-Arroyo won 12.6 million votes compared to Angara's 5.6 million.[14]

Estrada administration (1998−2001)

Chairman of the Philippine National Bank (1998–1999)

Upon the inauguration of Estrada as president on June 30, 1998, Angara was named by him to be the chairman of the board of directors of the Philippine National Bank, then a government-owned bank. During his tenure, major policy reforms as well as innovations were introduced by him at the said bank.

Agriculture Secretary (1999−2001)

In 1999, Angara was appointed Secretary of Agriculture by Estrada.[15] During his term as secretary (1999–2001), he had the opportunity to implement his own creation, AFMA. He oversaw an improvement of food production programs and support services that led to a bigger harvest of rice, a development that underscored the drive to attain food security. Overall, the agricultural sector saw a growth rate of 3.6 percent a year since 2000, compared with a 1.2 percent growth over the past two decades.[16]

Executive Secretary (2001)

On January 6, 2001, as Estrada's presidency was crippled by an impeachment trial and widespread allegations of corruption, Angara was appointed Executive Secretary following the resignation of Ronaldo Zamora, who was running for Congress.[17] He only served for 14 days, as Estrada was toppled by the EDSA II Revolution on January 20. Angara remained loyal to Estrada until the end of his presidency, though he later asserted that his support for Estrada was contingent on the latter's undertaking to pass reforms.[18]

Return to the Senate (2001–2013)

Angara successfully ran for senator in the 2001 Philippine election.[6]

He was re-elected to a fourth term in 2007,[6] making him the longest-serving senator in the post-EDSA revolution legislature, matching Senator Lorenzo Tanada who served four consecutive terms from 1947 to 1972.[10] Angara authored or sponsored many laws including the Free High School Education Act, the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education or GASTPE Law, the Generics Act, the law which created Philhealth, the original Senior Citizens Act, Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act, Government Procurement Act, the Renewable Energy Act, among several others.[10]

In 2007, Senator Edgardo Angara and Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara authored Republic Act No. 9490[19] which created the Aurora Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), the body tasked to administer the economic zone in Brgy. Motiong, Casiguran, Aurora. Later on, Republic Act No. 10083 was enacted which amended the name to Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority or better known as APECO.[20] The APECO was created to generate jobs and livelihood not only for Aurora but its neighboring provinces. As a logistics hub, it is a very timely and strategic infrastructure investment for the Philippines catering to Trans-Pacific Ocean traffic.[21]

In the Senate, Angara chaired the Committee on Education, Arts and Culture,[22] Committee on Science and Technology,[23] and the Congressional Commission on Science and Technology and Engineering.[24]

From January 16 to May 29, 2012, Angara acted as one of the Senator-Judges in the impeachment trial of the Senate of then Chief Justice Renato Corona and was one of the 20 Senator-Judges that voted to convict him of the impeachment charges exhibited by the House of Representatives and remove him from public office.

On October 3, 2012, he announced his candidacy for governor of Aurora in the 2013 Philippine election, but he withdrew and was replaced by his younger brother, Baler Mayor Arthur Angara.

On June 30, 2013, Angara's fourth term in the Senate ended but his son, Sonny placed a bid for Senator, he endorsed his son and campaigned with him with help from fellow senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, helping the younger Angara to be elected.

Death

Edgardo Angara died from an apparent heart attack on May 13, 2018, at the age of 83. His death was announced by his son Sonny over his Twitter page. Angara's necrological services were conducted in the Senate halls on the morning of May 16. His former Senate colleagues such as Sen. Wigberto Tañada attended his funeral, while others such as Rene Saguisag, Pia Cayetano, Nene Pimentel, and former Presidents Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Joseph Estrada, gave eulogies to Angara. President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo visited Angara's funeral in The Heritage Park in Taguig. His remains were buried in his hometown of Baler, Aurora.[25][26]

Senator Edgardo Angara's life was dramatized in the episode of ABS-CBN's drama anthology series, Maalaala Mo Kaya, titled "Family Portrait", originally aired on February 2, 2019. He was played by Christopher de Leon, with younger versions played by Raikko Mateo and James Blanco.

References
  1. "Former Senate president Edgardo Angara dies". Rappler. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  2. "Former senator Edgardo Angara passes away". GMA News. May 13, 2018. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  3. Placido, Dharel (May 17, 2017). "Duterte appoints former Senate President Angara as special envoy to the EU". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  4. Tan, Ruben A. (1988). The Philippine Congress, 1987-1992. Creative Computech Pub. p. 19.
  5. "GMA stresses rehabilitation; Baler radar to be upgraded". Manila Bulletin. July 1, 2008.
  6. "Edgardo J. Angara lawyer profile". martindale.com.
  7. "Resume of Senator Angara - Senate of the Philippines". www.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  8. "Biography of Senate President Angara". Senate of the Philippines official website. Archived from the original on February 9, 2010.
  9. "Resume of Senator Angara". Senate of the Philippines official website. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011.
  10. "Senator Edgardo J. Angara biography". Senate of the Philippines official website. Archived from the original on February 9, 2010.
  11. "Conference on Rizal essay". Manila Standard. Kagitingan Publications, Inc. September 13, 1989. p. 6. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  12. Claveria, Eugenio T. (December 19, 1993). "Senate: 'Activist, reformist' in '93". Manila Standard. p. 2.
  13. Kirk, Don (May 9, 1998). "As Presidential Election Nears, Business Community Ponders Popularity of Estrada". New York Times.
  14. "Philippine Congress Affirms Ex-Actor As New President". New York Times. May 20, 1998.
  15. Navarro, Rico (December 10, 2000). "LDP urges reforms at Manila Hotel meet". Manila News.
  16. Know Ed|edangara.com
  17. "President Estrada Appoints Angara As New Executive Secretary". Xinhua. January 5, 2001.
  18. Fuller, Thomas (November 7, 2000). "Philippine House Panel Clears Impeachment of Estrada". New York Times.
  19. "Congress of the Philippines: Republic Act No. 9490" (PDF). Senate.gov.ph. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  20. "Congress of the Philippines: Republic Act No. 10083" (PDF). Senate.gov.ph. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2012. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  21. "No conflict of interest in APECO-Sen. Angara". Philippine Daily Inquirer. November 26, 2010. Archived from the original on November 29, 2010.
  22. "List of Committees". Philippine Star. April 5, 2011.
  23. Uy, Veronica (March 6, 2008). "Legarda says law creating DICT within year". Archived from the original on September 27, 2009.
  24. Villafania, Alexander (October 20, 2009). ""Standard time" aimed at solving "Filipino time"". The Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 22, 2009.
  25. "LIVE: Eulogies for late Senate President Edgardo Angara at Senate". INQUIRER.net. May 16, 2018.
  26. Romero, Paolo (May 28, 2018). "Ex-Senate president Angara laid to rest". The Philippine Star.
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