Raul Daza

Daza entered active politics in 1967, when he ran in the special election for Representative of the then Lone District of Northern Samar to fill the unexpired term of Representative Eladio T. Balite, who had died. He lost to Vice Governor Eusebio Moore, the candidate of the administration Nacionalista (Nationalist) Party. However, in the 1969 regular national elections, as the candidate of the opposition Liberal Party he beat Moore for the same position and was elected congressman representing the Lone District of Northern Samar for one term until the declaration of Martial Law.

He held office in the 7th Congress from December 1969 to January 1973, when Congress was abolished by President Ferdinand Marcos, who assumed dictatorial powers under a new constitution after declaring martial law throughout the country on September 21, 1972.[2]

He joined a group of legislators in a case filed in the Supreme Court to question the constitutionality of the Marcos' martial declaration and campaigned against the so-called ratification of the new constitution. After Marcos anomalously declared the effectivity of his constitution, Daza became one of the 10 congressmen of the 105-member House of Representatives, who did not sign the option under the constitution to serve in the so-called national assembly.

Facing imminent arrest, he fled to the United States on January 23, 1973, where later he sought and was granted political asylum by the U.S. government. Within the year his wife and children followed him. After the House of Representatives was abolished by President Ferdinand Marcos, Daza and his family went to the United States.[3]

In the U.S. Daza led opposition groups from his residence in Los Angeles, California.[4]

After Ninoy Aquino's assassination, he returned to the Philippines on August 12, 1985, although he had a pending arrest warrant. In August 1985, President Marcos stated Daza and other opponents living abroad may return to the Philippines but "must face any charges against them." Daza returned to the Philippines the following week with 14 other opposition leaders. One day after his arrival, he was put under arrest and forthwith arraigned before a Quezon City court on an indictment charging him for multiple violations of the Marcos-era anti-subversion law.

Upon arrival Daza told reporters "Our motherland is in her darkest hour... the time has come for all true Filipinos, whether here or abroad, and regardless of class, calling or roots, to rally around her." At arrival he faced charges of subversion, arson and homicide in connection with his alleged involvement with the rebel "Light-A-Fire-Movement." Former Senator Jovito Salonga, who had returned earlier that year, told reporters that Daza would play a key role in organizing the Liberal Party for the elections.[4]

Granted bail due to pressure from a group of U.S. senators, he joined the opposition "parliament of the streets" and campaigned for Ninoy's widow Cory Aquino against Marcos in the snap election of February 7, 1986

In 1986, he was appointed by Corazon Aquino as Deputy Minister of the Presidential Commission on Good Government and at the same time a Governor until 1987 when he announced his candidacy as Representative of First District of Northern Samar.[5]

After the restoration of the House of Representatives but in a new location at the Batasang Pambansa Complex, he ran for the First District of Northern Samar[6] after restoration of House of Representatives.

During the opening of the 9th Congress, he was eventually elected as Speaker Pro Tempore succeeding Antonio Cuenco. By 1995, he became Deputy Speaker for Visayas until 1998. He also became the President of Liberal Party in 1994 succeeding Wigberto Tanada. He held that position until 1998.[7]

After his tenure as congressman, he was appointed Commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Constitutional Reforms from 1999 to 2000. In 2001, he won as governor of Northern Samar. He was re-elected in 2004 and 2007.[8]

He was elected congressman again in 2010 and regained his seat from his son Paul after he swapped places with the latter. In 2013, he lost his congressional seat to Harlin Abayon. In 2016, he regained the seat from Abayon after the latter was disqualified by the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal. This was reversed by the Supreme Court, but speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. did not heed the court's decision and paved way for Daza's return. During his return as congressman, he was part of the minority at age 82 after President Rodrigo Duterte's party PDP–Laban gained a supermajority in the House of Representatives.[9]