Sergio Osmeña, III
Encyclopedia
Sergio de la Rama Osmeña III, (born December 13, 1943) also known as Serge Osmeña, is a Senator
of the Republic of the Philippines. He earned the respect of many citizens for his exposes on graft and corruption, most of which were anomalous government
projects.
to Sergio Osmeña, Jr. of Cebu
and Lourdes de la Rama of Negros Occidental
. He finished his elementary studies at De La Salle College
. He studied his secondary studies at the St. Clement’s College in Iloilo, Ateneo de Manila
and Beaumont College
in Berkshire
, England
. Although he has never obtained a university degree, he studied in various educational institutions which include University of San Carlos
, University of the Philippines, Los Baños
, Harvard University
, and Georgetown University
.
Osmeña held business positions including:
As a son of Marcos' political rival, Osmeña was imprisoned in 1972. In November 1974, he embarked on a hunger strike along with his cellmate -- ABS-CBN
's Eugenio "Geny" Lopez, Jr.
-- to protest the unjust detention of thousands of innocent Filipinos. This resulted in the release of 1,022 political prisoners in December 1974. Defiant to the very end, Osmeña and Lopez escaped from their maximum security prison cell in Fort Bonifacio
in 1977. This exploit was enacted in the 1995 movie, Eskapo.
While in exile at the United States, Sergio Osmeña served as the Director for Movement for a Free Philippines. He was also the Founding Director of the Justice for Aquino Justice for All (JAJA) Movement.
After the removal of Marcos, Osmeña returned to the Philippines and held positions in business and government corporations in the 1990s. These include:
In 1992, Osmena ran for Congressman in Cebu's Sixth District but lost.
In 1995, Osmeña was invited by President
Fidel Ramos to join
in the senatorial race under the Lakas-Laban
ticket. He won in the elections and served his term as senator from 1995-2001. During that term he was asked to look for a new site of the Senate after the old Executive Building will be renovated for the National Museum. The Senate offices and session hall were transferred to the GSIS Building at the Financial Center in Pasay City
.
In 1997, Osmeña bolted Lakas NUCD to be an independent senator. In 1998, he joined the Liberal Party
. Osmeña succeeded Senator Edgardo J. Angara as Chair of the powerful Committee on Agriculture and Food and the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM). As Chair, Osmeña tried to block the approval of the construction of the Casecnan and the San Roque dams having discovered gross discrepancies in the costs and benefits of the projects. It was Osmeña who pointed out that the government would be investing an ridiculous amount of more than P385,000 to irrigate an additional hectare of rice paddy. The expose led to the cancellation of the proposed Balog-Balog irrigation project.
In 2001, Osmeña was one of the senators who voted in favor of opening the second bank envelope for the impeachment case filed against Joseph Estrada
. The motion was outnumbered, and it led to the second EDSA People Power Revolution. He ran as independent for the position of Senator under the People Power Coalition. He won in the elections and served his second term as senator from 2001-2007. Right after Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. was replaced by Senator Franklin Drilon
as Senate President, he joined Pimentel's party PDP-Laban
. His mandate as senator for the second term expired in 2007.
Running independent again in 2010 (although adopted by the Liberal Party and the Partido ng Masang Pilipino), Osmeña refused to participate in the sorties of his adoptive parties and opted instead to campaign all by himself. He graced radio programs and television interviews. Running on a shoe-string budget, Osmeña did not have the volume of posters and billboards of his opponents. He had television advertisements that to him would be more effective and more prudent to reach the electorate. Osmeña placed tenth and became a senator again for the third time.
and Subic Bay
. He has extended assistance to victims in the form of hospitalization and financial support. He has earned the respect of many for his exposes on graft and corruption, among others the anomalous IMPSA-CBK, PIATCO
, Tiwi-Makban, Marconi and Casecnan contracts, saving billions of pesos for the Filipino people. During his first year in the Philippine Senate in 1995, he was already recognized by the Free Press magazine as "Most Outstanding Freshman Senator" for this exposes.
Osmeña was criticized for being close to the Lopez group. He is less vocal when issues are involved to its line of business which includes MERALCO
, Maynilad Water Services, SkyCable, Manila North Tollways
, and ABS-CBN
.
He was also criticized being a political turncoat. He was initially part of Lakas-NUCD-UMDP in the early 1990s then transferred to Liberal Party
. He then joined the People Power Coalition in early 2001 and transferred to PDP-Laban
in late 2001. His grandfather, Sergio Osmeña
belongs to the Nacionalista Party
while his father Sergio Osmeña Jr. was once a member of the Nacionalista Party
but transferred to Liberal Party
when he challenged Ferdinand Marcos
in the 1969 presidential election
.
Amid the criticisms, Osmeña succeeded to deflect all these by being his own man. Choosing to be independent during crucial times, Osmeña went on to perform as effective fiscalizer oftentimes to the chagrin of his supposed allies. Aligning himself with Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, the leading presidential candidate in the 2010 election, he refused to stand beside Ralph Recto whose advocacy on the EVat runs counter to his own.
Serge came from a family of senators. His grandfather Sergio Sr. served during the American colonial period. His father Sergio Jr. served in the 1960s. His cousin, John Henry served in the Senate from 1971–1972, 1987–1992, 1992–1995 and 1998-2004. His maternal grandfather, Esteban de la Rama of Negros Occidental
was also a senator.
His nephew John Gregory served as Provincial Vice Governor of Cebu and his younger brother Tomas III is the Congressman of Cebu City
's south district. Tommy
was a close ally of President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
He speaks languages and dialects which includes English
, Tagalog
, Cebuano
, and Hiligaynon
. He was bestowed Doctor of Laws – Honoris Causa, by the Benguet State University in 2000.
He is the Chairman of the Aquaworld Corporation, which he held since 1992. While serving his initial term as senator he held a concurrent position as Director of San Miguel Brewery (HK), Ltd.
He was a member of the Philippine Jaycees, where he served as a senator in 1994. He founded Pundok Sugbuanon while he lived in Los Angeles
from 1990 to 1992. He is one of the Directors of the ABS-CBN Bayan Microfinance Foundation, held since 1999, and the Lorenzo Tañada Foundation, held since 1998.
Senate of the Philippines
The Senate of the Philippines is the upper chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, the Congress of the Philippines...
of the Republic of the Philippines. He earned the respect of many citizens for his exposes on graft and corruption, most of which were anomalous government
Politics of the Philippines
The Politics of the Philippines takes place in an organized framework of a presidential, representative, and democratic republic whereby the president is both the head of state and the head of government within a pluriform multi-party system...
projects.
Early life and career
Osmeña was born in ManilaManila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
to Sergio Osmeña, Jr. of Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
and Lourdes de la Rama of Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half...
. He finished his elementary studies at De La Salle College
De La Salle University-Manila
De La Salle University is a private Lasallian university in Malate, Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1911 by De La Salle Brothers as the De La Salle College in Paco, Manila with Blimond Pierre serving as its first director...
. He studied his secondary studies at the St. Clement’s College in Iloilo, Ateneo de Manila
Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
and Beaumont College
Beaumont College
Beaumont College was a Jesuit public school in Old Windsor, Berkshire, England. In 1967 the school closed. The property became a conference centre, and from 2008 an hotel.-History of the estate:...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Although he has never obtained a university degree, he studied in various educational institutions which include University of San Carlos
University of San Carlos
The University of San Carlos is a Roman Catholic university governed by the Society of the Divine Word since 1935 in Cebu City. It offers pre-elementary and basic education as well as undergraduate and graduate courses, and a broad spectrum of academic programs through its eight colleges.It...
, University of the Philippines, Los Baños
University of the Philippines, Los Baños
The University of the Philippines Los Baños is a public university located in the towns of Los Baños and Bay in the province of Laguna, some 64 kilometers southeast of Manila...
, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
.
Osmeña held business positions including:
- Assistant to President, Essel Incorporated, from 1967 to 1972
- Assistant to President, Cebu Autobus Company, from 1967 to 1972
- Assistant to President, De La Rama Steamship Co., Inc., from 1966 to 1972
- General Manager, LRO (Lourdes de la Rama Osmeña) Farms/ Hacienda Doña Pepang, from 1968 to 1972
- Chairman, Cebu Contracting Company, from 1968 to 1972
As a son of Marcos' political rival, Osmeña was imprisoned in 1972. In November 1974, he embarked on a hunger strike along with his cellmate -- ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN
ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...
's Eugenio "Geny" Lopez, Jr.
Eugenio Lopez, Jr.
Eugenio Lopez, Jr. , popularly known as Geny and Kapitan, was the Chairman Emeritus of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation.-Early life and career:...
-- to protest the unjust detention of thousands of innocent Filipinos. This resulted in the release of 1,022 political prisoners in December 1974. Defiant to the very end, Osmeña and Lopez escaped from their maximum security prison cell in Fort Bonifacio
Fort Bonifacio
Fort Bonifacio is a highly urbanized district in Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The district is named after the main Philippine Army camp in Metro Manila, Fort Andres Bonifacio, which in turn was named after the famous Philippine revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio...
in 1977. This exploit was enacted in the 1995 movie, Eskapo.
While in exile at the United States, Sergio Osmeña served as the Director for Movement for a Free Philippines. He was also the Founding Director of the Justice for Aquino Justice for All (JAJA) Movement.
After the removal of Marcos, Osmeña returned to the Philippines and held positions in business and government corporations in the 1990s. These include:
- Director, Pacific CATV, Incorporated, from 1994 to 1995
- Director, Telecommunications Holdings Corporation, from 1994 to 1995
- Chairman, Intervest Group, from 1994 to 1995
- Director, Micrologic Systems, Incorporated, from 1994 to 1995
- Director, Philippine National Bank from 1992 to 1995
- Director, San Miguel Corporation, from 1993 to 1995
Political career
He served as Secretary General of the Progressive Party cluster NUCD-UMDP from 1991–1992. When it merged with Lakas Tao in 1992, he served as the member of the National Directorate.In 1992, Osmena ran for Congressman in Cebu's Sixth District but lost.
In 1995, Osmeña was invited by President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Fidel Ramos to join
in the senatorial race under the Lakas-Laban
Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino
The Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino is a political party in the Philippines founded in 1988.There are no results available of the last elections for the House of Representatives, but according to the website of the House, the party holds 7 out of 235 seats . The party is divided into two factions...
ticket. He won in the elections and served his term as senator from 1995-2001. During that term he was asked to look for a new site of the Senate after the old Executive Building will be renovated for the National Museum. The Senate offices and session hall were transferred to the GSIS Building at the Financial Center in Pasay City
Pasay City
The City of Pasay is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the north by the country's capital, Manila, to the northeast by Makati City, to the east by Taguig City, and Parañaque City to the south.Pasay City was one of the original four...
.
In 1997, Osmeña bolted Lakas NUCD to be an independent senator. In 1998, he joined the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Philippines)
The Liberal Party of the Philippines is a liberal party in the Philippines, founded by then senators Senate President Manuel Roxas, Senate President Pro-Tempore Elpidio Quirino, and former 9th Senatorial District Senator Jose Avelino, on November 24, 1945 by a breakaway Liberal group from the...
. Osmeña succeeded Senator Edgardo J. Angara as Chair of the powerful Committee on Agriculture and Food and the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM). As Chair, Osmeña tried to block the approval of the construction of the Casecnan and the San Roque dams having discovered gross discrepancies in the costs and benefits of the projects. It was Osmeña who pointed out that the government would be investing an ridiculous amount of more than P385,000 to irrigate an additional hectare of rice paddy. The expose led to the cancellation of the proposed Balog-Balog irrigation project.
In 2001, Osmeña was one of the senators who voted in favor of opening the second bank envelope for the impeachment case filed against Joseph Estrada
Joseph Estrada
Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until 2001. Estrada was the first person in the Post-EDSA era to be elected both to the presidency and vice-presidency.Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in...
. The motion was outnumbered, and it led to the second EDSA People Power Revolution. He ran as independent for the position of Senator under the People Power Coalition. He won in the elections and served his second term as senator from 2001-2007. Right after Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. was replaced by Senator Franklin Drilon
Franklin Drilon
Franklin Magtunao Drilon is a Filipino politician who served as President of the Senate of the Philippines in 2000 and from 2001 to 2006. Drilon currently serves his third term in the Senate...
as Senate President, he joined Pimentel's party PDP-Laban
Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan
The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan or the Philippine Democratic Party-People's Power, more commonly known as PDP Laban, is a government political party in the Philippines. It is governed by current Vice President Jejomar C...
. His mandate as senator for the second term expired in 2007.
Running independent again in 2010 (although adopted by the Liberal Party and the Partido ng Masang Pilipino), Osmeña refused to participate in the sorties of his adoptive parties and opted instead to campaign all by himself. He graced radio programs and television interviews. Running on a shoe-string budget, Osmeña did not have the volume of posters and billboards of his opponents. He had television advertisements that to him would be more effective and more prudent to reach the electorate. Osmeña placed tenth and became a senator again for the third time.
Admiration and criticisms
Osmeña campaigned for justice for victims of toxic wastes at the former U.S. bases in Clark Air BaseClark Air Base
Clark Air Base is a former United States Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located 3 miles west of Angeles City, about 40 miles northwest of Metro Manila. Clark Air Base was an American military facility from 1903 to 1991...
and Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
. He has extended assistance to victims in the form of hospitalization and financial support. He has earned the respect of many for his exposes on graft and corruption, among others the anomalous IMPSA-CBK, PIATCO
Ninoy Aquino International Airport
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA , also known as Manila International Airport , is the airport serving the general area of Manila and its surrounding metropolitan area...
, Tiwi-Makban, Marconi and Casecnan contracts, saving billions of pesos for the Filipino people. During his first year in the Philippine Senate in 1995, he was already recognized by the Free Press magazine as "Most Outstanding Freshman Senator" for this exposes.
Osmeña was criticized for being close to the Lopez group. He is less vocal when issues are involved to its line of business which includes MERALCO
Meralco
The Manila Electric Company , also known as MERALCO or Meralco, is the Philippines' largest distributor of electrical power.The word MERALCO, is an acronym for Manila Electric Railroad And Light COmpany, which was the company's original name from 1903 to 1919.MERALCO is the Metro Manila's only...
, Maynilad Water Services, SkyCable, Manila North Tollways
Manila North Tollways
Manila North Tollways Corporation, based in Caloocan City, Metropolitan Manila, the Philippines, is the builder and concessionaire of the North Luzon Expressway. It was formerly owned by the Lopez Group of Companies and is presently owned by Metro Pacific Investments Corporation....
, and ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN
ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...
.
He was also criticized being a political turncoat. He was initially part of Lakas-NUCD-UMDP in the early 1990s then transferred to Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Philippines)
The Liberal Party of the Philippines is a liberal party in the Philippines, founded by then senators Senate President Manuel Roxas, Senate President Pro-Tempore Elpidio Quirino, and former 9th Senatorial District Senator Jose Avelino, on November 24, 1945 by a breakaway Liberal group from the...
. He then joined the People Power Coalition in early 2001 and transferred to PDP-Laban
Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan
The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan or the Philippine Democratic Party-People's Power, more commonly known as PDP Laban, is a government political party in the Philippines. It is governed by current Vice President Jejomar C...
in late 2001. His grandfather, Sergio Osmeña
Sergio Osmeña
Sergio Osmeña y Suico was a Filipino politician who served as the 4th President of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946. He was Vice President under Manuel L. Quezon, and rose to the presidency upon Quezon's death in 1944, being the oldest Philippine president to hold office at age 65...
belongs to the Nacionalista Party
Nacionalista Party
The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...
while his father Sergio Osmeña Jr. was once a member of the Nacionalista Party
Nacionalista Party
The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...
but transferred to Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Philippines)
The Liberal Party of the Philippines is a liberal party in the Philippines, founded by then senators Senate President Manuel Roxas, Senate President Pro-Tempore Elpidio Quirino, and former 9th Senatorial District Senator Jose Avelino, on November 24, 1945 by a breakaway Liberal group from the...
when he challenged Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
in the 1969 presidential election
Philippine presidential election, 1969
Presidential, legislative and local elections were held on November 11, 1969 in the Philippines. Incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos won an unprecedented second full term as President of the Philippines. Marcos was the last president in the entire electoral history who ran and won for a second term...
.
Amid the criticisms, Osmeña succeeded to deflect all these by being his own man. Choosing to be independent during crucial times, Osmeña went on to perform as effective fiscalizer oftentimes to the chagrin of his supposed allies. Aligning himself with Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, the leading presidential candidate in the 2010 election, he refused to stand beside Ralph Recto whose advocacy on the EVat runs counter to his own.
Personal life
Serge, as many people call him, is a farmer and businessman by training and was educated at Harvard, Georgetown, and the University of the Philippines. He is married to Isabel Lopez. He has six children.Serge came from a family of senators. His grandfather Sergio Sr. served during the American colonial period. His father Sergio Jr. served in the 1960s. His cousin, John Henry served in the Senate from 1971–1972, 1987–1992, 1992–1995 and 1998-2004. His maternal grandfather, Esteban de la Rama of Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half...
was also a senator.
His nephew John Gregory served as Provincial Vice Governor of Cebu and his younger brother Tomas III is the Congressman of Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
's south district. Tommy
Tomas Osmeña
Tomas "Tommy" de la Rama Osmeña is a Filipino politician currently serving as Congressman for the second district of Cebu City. Prior to his congressional term, he has also served as mayor of Cebu City from 1988 to 1995 and from 2001 to 2010.-Early life:Tomas is the son of the late Senator Sergio...
was a close ally of President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
He speaks languages and dialects which includes English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
, Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
, Cebuano
Cebuano language
Cebuano, referred to by most of its speakers as Bisaya , is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 20 million people mostly in the Central Visayas. It is the most widely spoken of the languages within the so-named Bisayan subgroup and is closely related to other Filipino...
, and Hiligaynon
Hiligaynon language
Hiligaynon, often referred to as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian language spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.Hiligaynon is concentrated in the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Capiz but is also spoken in the other provinces of the Panay Island group, including Antique,...
. He was bestowed Doctor of Laws – Honoris Causa, by the Benguet State University in 2000.
He is the Chairman of the Aquaworld Corporation, which he held since 1992. While serving his initial term as senator he held a concurrent position as Director of San Miguel Brewery (HK), Ltd.
He was a member of the Philippine Jaycees, where he served as a senator in 1994. He founded Pundok Sugbuanon while he lived in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
from 1990 to 1992. He is one of the Directors of the ABS-CBN Bayan Microfinance Foundation, held since 1999, and the Lorenzo Tañada Foundation, held since 1998.