By Manny Pinol
There are several personalities in the country today who could be considered as members of a “political royalty” and Manuel A. Roxas III is one of them.
Mar traces his political lineage to his grandfather, President Manuel Roxas, after whom the Capiz capital city was named, and his father, Senator Gerry Roxas.
Considered an economic “Bright Boy,” Roxas holds the distinction of being one of the few politicians who served three presidents as member of the President’s cabinet.
Among the presidential potentials, Mar has the most sterling performance record.
Over the years in government, however, Roxas image of being a “Nino Bonito” of Philippine politics was slowly tarnished by his display of abrasiveness in his relationship with people around him, especially those he considers as inferior to him.
I had my first hand experience with the “Roxas Temper” when he raised his voice during a meeting I had with him and the other leaders of the Liberal Party where I endorsed Congressman Jesus Sacdalan to be the official candidate of the LP for governor of North Cotabato.
Instead of heeding my recommendation, he gave in to the nagging of former Congresswoman Lualhati Antonino and endorsed the incumbent North Cotabato governor as LP official candidate.
This actuation came as a big surprise to me because I worked very closely with Mar Roxas during the time I questioned the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA) before the Supreme Court.
(I initially agreed to run for Congress in the newly-created 3rd District as part of a political compromise where I was supposed to run unopposed but decided to abandon the arrangement and run for Governor instead when the incumbent governor violated the agreement by fielding an opponent against me. The rest is history.)
This condescending attitude towards people around him was displayed in full color in the now-viral video of his meeting with Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez following the Typhoon Yolanda tragedy.
While he is perceived to be insensitive and impersonal in his dealings with people around him, Roxas is considered as the most competent presidential material, especially so because his service in government has never been tainted with issues of corruption.
A Roxas presidency could be a boon to the Philippines’ goal of becoming an economic power in Asia in the years to come never mind if, like Vice President Jejomar Binay, Mar has not also laid down a master plan for Philippine agriculture.
The only problem now is that before he becomes President Mar Roxas must be supported by political leaders who believe in him and voted upon by the electorates.
Unfortunately for Mar, he is no longer viewed as the likable “Bright Boy” and “Nino Bonito” of Philippine politics, especially after the very controversial meeting with Mayor Romualdez.
Here is what en.wikipedia.org says about Mar Roxas:
Manuel “Mar” Araneta Roxas II (born May 13, 1957) is a former Senator of the Philippines.
He is the son of former Senator Gerry Roxas, and the grandson of former President Manuel Roxas and industrialist J. Amado Araneta.
A graduate of the Wharton School, Roxas worked as an investment banker, mobilizing venture capital funds for small and medium enterprises.[1]
He served as the Representative of the 1st District of Capiz from 1993 to 2000. His stint as Congressman was cut short after he was appointed by President Joseph Estrada asSecretary of Trade and Industry.[2]
He resigned from the position at the height of the EDSA Revolution of 2001 and was later re-appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her new Cabinet.[3]
He resigned again to run for a Senate seat in the 2004 Philippine election.[4]
He was elected as Senator with 19 million votes and the highest ever garnered by a national candidate in any Philippine election and co-author of Expanded Value Added Tax Law (E-Vat).[5]
Initially one of the leading contenders in the Philippine presidential election, 2010, he slid down to become a vice-presidential candidate in order to make way for fellow Senator Benigno Aquino III.
He was defeated by Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) by the narrowest margin in the history of the Fifth Republic. However, Roxas filed an
electoral protest to theSupreme Court of the Philippines at the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.[6]
On June 7, 2011, President Benigno Aquino III appointed Roxas as the new Secretary of Transportation and Communications to replace outgoing Secretary Jose de Jesus and took office on July 4, 2011.
Afterwards on August 31, 2012, President Aquino nominated him as the next Secretary of Interior and Local Government, replacing former DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo who died in a plane crash.
Early life and career
Roxas was born on May 13, 1957, in Manila, Philippines to Judy Araneta of Bago City, Negros Occidental and Gerardo Roxas (1924–1982) of Capiz.
Roxas’ father was a former Senator (1963–1972), and the only son of Manuel Roxas, the first President of the Third Philippine Republic, and Trinidad de Leon.
The couple married in 1955.[8] He has two siblings namely Maria Lourdes or Ria, married to Augusto Ojeda and mother of three and the late Congressman Gerardo “Gerry” Roxas, Jr. (1960–1993).[9]
Roxas attended Ateneo de Manila University for grade school and high school, then attended the Wharton School of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a degree in economics in 1979.
After graduation, he worked for seven years as an investment banker in New York, and became an assistant vice president of the New York-based Allen & Company.
Following the 1985 announcement by PresidentFerdinand Marcos of a snap election, he took a leave of absence to join the presidential campaign ofCorazon Aquino.
In September 1986, President Corazon Aquino went to the United States. He was one of those who organized a series of investment round-table discussions with the American business community.
From 1986 onwards, he visited the Philippines more frequently.
He then proposed to his company to have set up shop in Asia specifically in the Philippines, and later, his superiors agreed.
In 1991, he was stationed in the country under North Star Capitals, Inc. which took Jollibee public.
In the United States, he participated in the first financing of Discovery Channel and Tri-Star Pictures.
House of Representatives Special Elections
Roxas’ younger brother, Dinggoy, who represented the 1st District of Capiz died of cancer in 1993.
At the age of 35, he decided to run in the special election to replace his brother and won. He later became Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.
As congressman, he espoused consumer protection, underscoring the right of every Filipino to affordable medicines, as his personal advocacy. His landmark laws include, among others:
• Republic Act No. 8759 – establishing in all municipalities a Public Employment Service Office which serves as employment facilitation and information center, and links all job opportunities within the region;
• Republic Act No. 8748 – amending the Special Economic Zone Act by directly allocating to the municipality or city 2% (out of the 5%) gross tax to be collected from the establishments operating in the ecozone and providing for disturbance compensation for persons to be displaced or evicted by publicly owned ecozones;
• Republic Act No. 8756 – incentivizing the establishment of regional headquarters to encourage investment and operation of multinational companies in the country and to generate more jobs.
His tenure in the House was most noted for his principal authorship of Republic Act No. 7880 (Roxas Law), which ensures fair distribution of the education capital budget among all the provinces.
This started his advocacy for fair and equitable access to education, free from regional bias and political patronage considerations.[10]
Roxas resigned from the House of Representatives following his appointment as Trade and Industry Secretary under the Estrada administration in 2000.
Secretary of Trade and Industry
Roxas was appointed Secretary of Trade and Industry by President Joseph Estrada in January 2000, replacing Jose Pardo who as appointed Secretary of Finance.[11]
He resigned the position in November, as Estrada was under fire due to allegations of corruption.[12] In January 2001, days after Estrada was overthrown, Roxas was re-appointed to the same office by newly installed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.[2]
He was also temporarily designated by Arroyo to head the Department of Energy.[13]
During his four-year stint as DTI Secretary, he pushed for the development of the “palengke” (market) as the basic unit of the economy and the root of progress, advocating not only consumer welfare and protection but also sound trade and investment policies, particularly SME development.[10]
He intensified his commitment to quality education through the Personal Computers for Public Schools (PCPS) Program, which distributed over 30,000 computers to 2,000 public high schools all over the Philippines. PCPS computers provided 500,000 high school students with the necessary ICT tools and skills.[14]
His work regarding trade policy was highlighted during the 2003 WTO Meeting in Cancún, Mexico, where he fought for increased market access for Philippine exports, particularly agricultural products and a rationalized Philippine trade regime so that domestic industries would not be harmed.[14]
Roxas launched ‘Make IT Philippines’ and organized the first IT-enabled services (ITES) to the United States which led to the biggest global industry names to invest in the Philippines. He pioneered the establishment of high-technology industry centers and the promotion of the business process outsourcing(BPO) market in the Philippines, particularly call center operations.
From a mere 2000 jobs at the onset, the BPO industry now provides hundreds of thousands of jobs, thereby putting the Philippines on the map as a major IT/BPO destination.[14]
He worked for the reopening of the National Steel Corporation which provided thousands of jobs, income and livelihood to Iligan City, Northern Mindanaoand adjacent regions. He later launched the Garment Export Industry Transformation Plan and Assistance Package to enhance the competitiveness of the industry and ensure its viability and vibrancy beyond 2004.
He also initiated the Motor/Vehicle Development Program to promote exports, create a viable market base for our car manufacturers and secure jobs for our workers.[14]
He pushed for MSME development through the SULONG (SMEs Unified Lending Opportunities for National Growth) Program, which granted almost P26.7 billion on low-interest loans to 281,229 SMEs on its first year.[14]
He promoted the Tamang Timbang, Tamang Presyo (Right Scale, Right Price) program for consumers; the Presyong Tama, Gamot Pampamilya (Right Price, Family Medicine) to make affordable and quality medicines accessible to Filipinos, and Pinoy Pandesal, Palengke ng Bayan, among others. These programs promoted supply chain efficiencies leading to growth and productivity, and a wide range of opportunities and long-term gains.[14]
As a proponent of the philosophy of ‘palengkenomics’, which considers the “palengke” (market) as a microcosm of the economy, Roxas conducts weekly monitoring of the prices of prime commodities and maintains strong linkages with suppliers, traders, and vendors in the different wet markets.[14]
On December 10, 2003, Roxas resigned from his post to prepare for his senatorial bid under the banner of the Liberal Party in the 2004 elections.
Roxas said that he needs to separate his work in DTI from his work as a candidate, and added that his resignation did not surprise the President. He was succeeded by Cesar A. V. Purisima, former chairman of the accounting firm Sycip, Gorres & Velayo (SGV).
Senator
Roxas was proclaimed by the Comelec as Senator-elect on May 24, 2004, and officially assumed the office at noon of June 30, 2004.
He was elected under the Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan (K-4) of President Arroyo.[16]
Roxas held assignments on the Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce and Senate Oversight Committee on Optical Media Board serving alongside with Ramon Revilla, Jr..
13th Congress
Roxas authored 43 bills and 46 resolutions brought before the 13th Congress in July 2004 and 2007. He has filed bills on fighting smuggling, supportinglabor, education, economy, and alternative energy.
On February 26, 2006, the Philippines was under a state emergency after the government claimed that it foiled an alleged coup d’état attempt against the administration of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo earlier that same day.
Two days later, Roxas called on the government to immediately revoke Proclamation No. 1017, saying it betrays its own vision of a strong republic and directly attack Philippine democracy.[17]
He voted in favor of the Revised Value-Added Tax Law when it was deliberated in the Senate.[18] The law was co-authored by other Liberal Party members,Franklin Drilon and Francis Pangilinan.
He also voted in favor of the abolition of the death penalty in the Philippines.[19]
He voted against the Human Security Act together with Senator Jamby Madrigal saying that “the fight against terror requires urgent operational reforms over measures that could impair civil liberties”.
He even warned that the said law poses a danger to the security and rights of every Filipino if there will be no set of implementing rules and regulations laid down.[20]
14th Congress
Roxas’ legislative agenda for the 14th Congress are as follows:
• Affordable Medicines
He has filed Senate Bill No. 101 (Law on Patents, Tradenames and Trademarks) to amend Republic Act No. 8293, otherwise known as the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, to lower the prices of medicines through increased competition among drug companies and by providing the government with better policy tools to significantly influence the supply and demand of medicines.[21]
• EVAT Funds for Education and Healthcare
He has filed Senate Bill No. 102 (People’s Fund Act) to ease the effect of the 12% E-VAT. The People’s Fund would consist of thirty percent (30%) of all proceeds from the VAT collected under Title IV of the National Internal Revenue Code. This portion estimates the share of incremental revenues fromRepublic Act No. 9337, the Expanded Value-Added Tax law, which increased to 12% the VAT and removed the exemption.[22]
• Tax Exemption for Minimum Wage Earners
He has filed Senate Bill No. 103 (Individual Tax Exemption for Minimum Wage Earners Bill) to exempt minimum wage earners in the private sector and government workers in Salary Grades 1 to 3, amending certain provisions of Republic Act No. 8424, otherwise known as the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.
As per estimates by the National Wages and Productivity Board, there are 7 million workers earning the minimum wage and even below.
For him, it is unfair and unjust that the government, under the law, is taking away a portion of their already subsistence-level income.[23]
• Amendments to the Roxas Law
He has filed Senate Bill No. 104 to amend Republic Act No. 7880, also known as the Fair and Equitable Access to Education Act, to eliminate the problem of classroom shortages in the Philippines, as well as enhancing the process of construction, rehabilitation, replacement, completion, and repair of needed school buildings and classrooms.[24]
• Regulating the Pre-Need Industry
He has filed Senate Bill No. 105 (Pre-Need Industry Act of 2007) to address the absence of a statute that regulates the pre-need industry by establishing the Pre-Need Industry Act of 2007 to govern the operations of firms which issue or sell pre-need plans or similar contracts and investments.[25]
• Anti-Smuggling Bill
He has filed Senate Bill No. 106 (Anti-Smuggling Act of 2007) to amend certain provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1464, otherwise known as the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines, as amended. Under the proposed bill, an Audit and Transparency Group under the Bureau of Customs, headed by a Deputy Commissioner, would regularly inspect and report on the bureau’s operational processes, collection and financial reporting, fiscal and personnel performance, system efficiency, internal control, information and communication flow, fraudulent and illegal practices and other related areas. On the basis of these inspections and reports, the Audit and Transparency Deputy Commissioner can initiate investigations of fraud and other graft and corrupt practices in the bureau, and shall recommend to the Office of the Ombudsman the filing of any cases against personnel and officers involved.[26]
• Lemon Law
He has filed Senate Bill No. 107 (Lemon Law of 2007) to have a one (1) year period in which buyers of brand-new vehicles can avail of the provisions of this Lemon Law, which allows up to four repairs on the same defect before a replacement or refund of the vehicle can be claimed. For him, it would ensure that the investment on a vehicle is money well-spent.[27]
• SME Magna Carta
He has filed Senate Bill No. 108 (Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) to strengthen Republic Act No. 6977, the Magna Carta for Small Enterprises. The focus of the amendments of this bill focuses on three points: guidelines, institutional support and organizational support. Guidelines refer to the specific asset size definition, appropriating a definite and regular amount for the Small and Medium Enterprise Development (SMED) Council and increase in the mandatory allocation to lending activities. Institutional support comprises additional government agencies to coordinate SME efforts and formalization of the SME Development Plan. Lastly, organizational support to intensify the powers and increase capitalization of the Small Business and Guarantee Finance Corporation to complement the growing demands for financing. Other features of the bill include formalizing the celebration of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Week and recognition of outstanding MSMEs.[28]
• Free Information Act
He has filed Senate Bill No. 109 (Free Information Act) to implement the Constitutional guarantee to free access by the people to official information, except when the disclosure of such information would jeopardize other prerogatives of the government, namely, the protection of the privacy of individuals, trade secrets, national security, public order and safety, and foreign diplomatic relations.
Decriminalizing Libel
He has filed Senate Bill No. 110 (Penalty of Imprisonment in Libel Cases Abolition Bill) to decriminalize libel and limit the venue of filing libel suits. He believes that the approval of the said measure would be a small way by which Congress may help in alleviating the plight of journalists.[30]
Election as Liberal Party president
On November 26, 2007, LP National Executive Council officials resolved to appoint him as president of the Liberal Party (Philippines).
Roxas is to unite the two LP factions, and set the stage for his presidential campaign in the 2010 election.[31] Lito Atienza, however, forthwith questioned Roxas’ appointment, attacking the composition of Liberal Party’s National Executive Council (NECO) and alleged that the Supreme Court of the Philippines’ June 5 resolution ordered the LP leadership’s status quo maintenance.
2010 vice-presidential candidacy
After he garnered the highest votes in the Philippine election history when he ran as Senator, many people had already made him a potential presidential candidate by 2010.
However, on September 1, 2009, at the historic Club Filipino, in the hopes of being the epitome of his belief of “Bayan muna bago ang sarili” (Country first above Self) he delivered a speech at a press conference saying that: for the 2010 elections, he is shelving his presidential aspiration and is giving way to Senator Benigno Aquino III.
He was defeated by Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) by the narrowest margin in the history of the Fifth Republic.
However, Roxas filed an electoral protest to the Supreme Court of the Philippines at the Presidential Electoral Tribunal. On July 12, 2010, the Supreme Court after reviewing Roxas’ electoral protest, declared it sufficient in form and substance,[6] and the Presidential Electoral Tribunal will be sending summons to Vice President Jejomar Binay to file a comment within 10 days upon receipt of summons,[6] and Roxas also requested the Presidential Electoral Tribunal to order an independent forensic examination of the 26,000 CompactFlash cards and the source code of the PCOS machines used in the 2010 elections.[6]
Secretary of Transportation and Communications
Roxas accepted the offer of Aquino to be appointed the next Secretary of Transportation and Communications who will replace the outgoing Secretary Ping De Jesus who resigned earlier. He took office on June 30, 2011.[7]
Secretary of Interior and Local Government
Afterwards, on August 31, 2012, Aquino appointed him as the new Secretary of Interior and Local Government, replacing former DILG Sec.Jesse Robredo who died in a plane crash in the shore of Masbate Island.
Personal life
He was previously in a relationship with former beauty queen Maricar Zaldarriaga, with whom he has a son, Paolo Z. Roxas. He is married to Korina Sanchez, one of the Philippines’ most popular and critically acclaimed broadcast journalist from ABS-CBN.
Awards, honors and recognitions
• In 1996, Roxas was recognized by the World Economic Forum as “one of the Global Leaders of Tomorrow who are expected to shape the future.”[47]
• In 1999, Roxas was named by the Asiaweek Magazine as “Political Leader of the New Millennium.”[48]
• The Singapore Government has awarded him as the 16th Lee Kuan Yew Fellow.[49]
• On February 16, 2007, the E-Services Philippines awarded Roxas with the E-Champion Award recognizing his pioneering efforts and leadership in making the Philippines a popular outsourcing destination of choice.[50]
• On September 18, 2007, Roxas was conferred with the Palanca Awards Gawad Dangal ng Lahi by CP Group Chairman Carlos Palanca III, Palanca Foundation Director General Sylvia Palanca-Quirino and Deputy Director General Christine Quirino-Pacheco for serving as an exemplary leader and role model to the Filipino.[51]