Presidential Aspirants Series: Mar Roxas

PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANTS SERIES:  MAR ROXAS

By Anton Antonio

August 11, 2015

“Campaign strategies should, at the very least, revolve around the governance qualification and competence of a candidate.  Mudslinging is part of the political entertainment… but, again, at a certain point, this has to stop.” (Antonio, 2015)  This was my last statement in a blog/article titled “This Has To Stop” published and posted on http://antonantonio.blogspot.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/antonio.c.antonio.  Consistent with my desire to make the 2016 presidential campaign a gentleman’s game, the articles to be carried in the “Presidential Aspirants Series” will not indulge in mudslinging, vilification, character assassination, image-demeaning, etc. hype that has been prevalent on social media lately.  In the next few days, let us make better sense of things, level the playing field, and inform the voting Filipinos on only the strengths of the declared presidential aspirants.  This way, we can all make more informed and intelligent decisions based on merits; and not on negative social media posts and information.  Please note that this “series” will only carry presidential aspirants who categorically and publicly stated that they will run in 2016. To be perfectly fair, the information used in this “series” will also consistently come from the same source (Wikipedia).

Manuel “Mar” Araneta Roxas II (born May 13, 1957) is a Filipino politician who has served in the Cabinet of the Philippines as Secretary of the Interior and Local Government from 2012 to 2015.  Previously he was Secretary of Trade and Industry from 2000 to 2003, a Senator from 2004 to 2010, and Secretary of Transportation and Communications from 2011 to 2012.  He is the son of former Senator Gerry Roxas and the grandson of former Philippine President Manuel Roxas and of 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.  He serves as the Representative of the 1^st District of Capiz from 1993 to 2000.  His stint as Congressman was cut short after he was appointed by President Joseph Estrada as Secretary of Trade and Industry.  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.  He resigned again to run for a Senate seat in the 2004 Philippine election.  He was elected as Senator with 19 million votes and the highest ever garnered by a national candidate in any Philippine election.  He was co-author of the Expanded Value Added Tax Law (E-Vat).

Initially one of the leading contenders in the 2010 presidential election, 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 with the Supreme Court of the Philippines, the Court sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

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 he took office on July 4, 2011.  Afterwards, on August 31, 2012, President Aquino nominated him as Secretary of Interior and Local Government, replacing Jesse Robredo, who died in a plane crash.

Roxas is set to be the nominee of the Liberal Party in the 2016 presidential elections.  On July 31, 2015, at an event dubbed as “A Gathering of Friends”, Roxas formally accepted his party’s nomination after he was officially endorsed by President Benigno Aquino III in the presence of their political allies at the Club Filipino, where Roxas had announced his decision to withdraw from the 2010 presidential election and give way to Aquino’s presidential bid.  Aquino also announced his candidacy there on 9 September 2009.  On the same day, Roxas formally launched his campaign website.  On August 3, 2015, Roxas officially tendered his resignation as Secretary of the Interior and Local Government in order to focus on his presidential campaign.

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 Senator (1963-1972) and the only son of Manuel Roxas, the first President of the Third Philippine Republic, and Trinidad de Leon.  The couple marries in 1955.  He has two siblings namely Maria Lourdes or Ria, married to Augusto Ojeda and mother of three and the late Congressman Gerardo “Dinggoy” Roxas, Jr. (1960-1993).

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 President Ferdinand Marcos of a snap election, he took a leave of absence to join the presidential campaign of Corazon 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 discussion with the American business community.  From 1986 onwards, he visited the Philippines more frequently.  He then proposed to his company to 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 Jolibee public.  In the United States, he participated in the first financing of Discovery Channel and Tri-Star Pictures.

Roxas’ younger brother, Dinggoy, who represented the 1^st District of Capiz died of cancer in 1993.  At the age of 33, 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 included, among others: (1) Republic Act No. 8759; (2) Republic Act No. 8748; and, (3) Republic Act No. 8756.  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 provinces.  This started his advocacy for fair and equitable access to education, free from regional bias and political patronage considerations.  Roxas resigned from the House of Representatives following his appointment as Trade and Industry Secretary under the Estrada administration in 2000.

Roxas was appointed Secretary of Trade and Industry by President Joseph Estrada in January 2000, replacing Jose Pardo who was appointed Secretary of Finance.  He resigned the position in November, as Estrada was under fire due to allegations of corruption.  In January 2001, days after Estrada was overthrown, Roxas was re-appointed to the same office by newly installed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.  He was also temporarily designated by Arroyo to head the Department of Energy.  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.  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.  His work regarding trade policy was highlighted during the 2003 WTO Meeting in Cancun, 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.  In the year 2000, Roxas was named Chairman of the Information Technology and Electronic Commerce Council.  A body formed with the participation of both the government and private sector to monitor the implementation of the E-Commerce Law (Republic Act 8792) and programs pushing for the growth of IT-enabled services.  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.  He worked for the reopening of the National Steel Corporation which provided thousands of jobs, income and livelihood to Iligan City, Northern Mindanao and 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.  He pushed for MSME development through SULONG (SME’s 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.  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.  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.  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).

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.  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.  Roxas authored 43 bills and 46 resolutions brought before the 13^th Congress in July 2004 and 2007.  He filed bills fighting smuggling, supporting labor, 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’etat attempts 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.  Roxas voted in favor of the Revised Value-Added Tax Law when it was deliberated in the Senate.  The law was co-authored by other Liberal Party members, Franklin Drilon and Francis Pangilinan.  He also voted in favour of the abolition of the death penalty in the Philippines.  Roxas 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.

Roxas’ legislative agenda for the 14thCongress are as follows:  (a) Affordable Medicines; (b) EVAT Funds for Education and Healthcare; (c) Tax Exemption for Minimum Wage Earners; (d) Amendments to the Roxas Law; (e) Regulating the Pre-Need Industry; (f) Anti-Smuggling Bill; (g) Lemon Law; (h) SME Magna Carta; (i) Free Information Act; and, (j) Decriminalizing Libel.

On November 26, 2007, LP National Executive Council officials resolved to appoint him as president of the Liberal Party.

After his election to the Senate in 2004, Roxas was immediately seen as a potential presidential candidate in the 2010 presidential election.  While Roxas himself was coy on his plans, the Mar Roxas for President Movement gathered steam with the Liberal Party targeting the youth in the run-up to the election.  Other signs included the sprouting of Mar Roxas for President spots on the internet and his colleagues endorsing him as the party’s standard bearer.  The Senator Benigno Aquino III declared him as the Liberal Party’s nominee and Former Senator Jovito Salonga, Chairman Emeritus of the party, once introduced him as “the next President of the Philippine Republic.  Senator Franklin Drilon had also confirmed that Roxas was the party’s standard bearer in the election.  However, on September 1, 2001, at the historic Club Filipino, Roxas delivered a speech at a press conference announcing his decision to withdraw from the race and support the candidacy of Aquino for the presidency, officially announced his candidacy for the vice presidency as the nominee of the Liberal Party for Vice President, launching the Aquino-Roxas campaign.  On November 28, 2009, Aquino and Roxas filed their certificate of candidacy for President and Vice President respectively.

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.  Binay’s upset victory over Roxas was attributed to the success of the Aquino-Binay campaign, which begun when Senator Francis Escudero endorsed Aquino and Binay as President and Vice President respectively.  This was done without the consent of the two candidates, especially since Escudero, Binay and Aquino all come from different political parties.  Roxas filed an electoral protest to the Supreme Court on the Philippines at the Residential Electoral Tribunal.  On July 12, 2010, the Supreme Court after reviewing Roxas’ electoral protest, declared it sufficient in form and substance and the Presidential Electoral Tribunal sent summons to Vice President Binay to file a comment within 10 days upon receipt of the summons.  Roxas also requested the Presidential Electoral Tribunal to order an independent forensic examination of the 26,000 compact flash cards and the source code of the PCOS machines used in the 2010 elections.  As of August 2015, the case remains in pre-trial stage, with the last action taken by the tribunal dating back to December 2012.

Roxas accepted the offer of Aquino to be appointed as Secretary of Transportation and Communications, replacing the outgoing Jose de Jesus, who had resigned earlier.  He took office on June 30, 2011.  His appointment was given unanimous consent by the Commission on Appointments on October 12, 2011.

On August 31, 2012, President Aquino appointed him as Secretary of Interior and Local Government, replacing Jesse Robredo, who had died in a plane crash on the shores of Masbate Island thirteen days earlier.  It was Roxas who announced the death of Robredo and confirmed that the rescue operations for the two pilots, Captain Jessup Bahinting and Nepalese flight student Kshitiz, has been turned into a retrieval operation.  On August 3, 2015, Roxas officially tendered his resignation as Secretary of the Interior and Local Government in order to focus on his presidential campaign.  In his resignation letter to President Aquino, he once again thanked him for his endorsement and vowed to “begin the process of turning over in an orderly manner all the matters pending in my office”.  During his final flag ceremony at Camp Crame, Roxas bade goodbye to his colleagues and thanked the members of the Philippine National Police.  “it has been my pleasure and a great honor to serve with you I give you my snappy salute”, he told police officials present.

Roxas is set to be the Liberal Party’s standard bearer in the 2016 presidential election.  On July 31, 2015, at an event dubbed as “A Gathering of Friends”, Roxas formally accepted his party’s nomination after he was officially endorsed by President Benigno Aquino III in the presence of their political allies at the Club Filipino, where Roxas had announced his decision to withdraw from the 2010 presidential election and give way to Aquino’s presidential bid.  Aquino also announced his candidacy there on 9 September 2009.  In an emotional speech, Roxas declared the he would not deviate from the “straight path” initiated by Aquino in the fight against poverty and corruption.  On the same day, Roxas formally launched his campaign website.

In an emotional speech during which he paid tribute to his late grandfather, President Manuel Roxas, hi late father, Gerardo Roxas and late brother, Rep. Dinggoy Roxas, Roxas declared that he would not betray the reforms initiated by the Aquino administration and vowed to continue Aquino’s “Daang Matuwid” agenda: “I believe that this is not just about me or PNoy.  The “Daang Matuwid” is about the dreams of every Filipino.  As the President said: It is worth fighting for.  It is worth sacrificing for, and dying for if need be.  The Straight Path transcends me and PNoy; it is a Filipino ideal that has been there long before we were born, and will remain long after we are gone.  History is challenging us to live up to these principles; to continue on this journey; to fight for our dreams as a nation.  Mr. President, during your SONA on Monday, you said , “This is only the beginning; it is only the beginning of the great story of the Filipino people.”  Today, with all my sincerity, with all my will and with all my strength, I am answering the call of the “Daang Matuwid”.  We will fight on.  I am Mar Roxas and I accept the challenge of our Bosses: to continue, expand and fight for the “Daang Matuwid”.  As confetti filled the Cory Aquino Kalayaan Hall and singer-songwriter Noel Cabangon sang “Dapat and Pangulo”, the official song of the campaign, Aquino raised Roxas’ hand after the speech as a sign of complete support for his campaign.

Senator Mar Roxas has taken positions on many national issues since his election as senator during the 2004 Philippine elections.  About the ZTE deal, Roxas introduced a resolution urging President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to cancel the Philippine government’s National Broadband Network (NBN) project with China’s Zhong Xing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE) Corporation.  Roxas said that the $329.4-million deal “was driven by supply and not by demand” and will not benefit Filipinos.  He believes that the cancellation of the deal would not affect the relationship of the Philippines with China.  In order to finally put a just closure to national divisiveness, Roxas filled Senate Resolution No. 135 calling President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to issue a pardon to former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada (popularly known as “Erap”) at the appropriate time.  “The grant of pardon to Erap on humanitarian grounds should not in any way be construed as condoning corruption, or as diminishing the legal weight of the ruling of the Sandiganbayan, but serves as an embodiment of the people’s will for closure on one of the most divisive chapters of our national life,” he added.  “In trade negotiations, no deal is always better than a bad deal.”  This is what Roxas said on JPEPA.  He issued a warning after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo pressed on the Senate to ratify the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) amid concerns aired by Tokyo for the early approval.  Roxas was optimistic that the pact would be given serious consideration by the Senate if the government revised the deal to get a better trade-off.

He was previously in a relationship with former beauty queen Maricar Zaldarriago, with whom he has a son, Paolo Gerardo Z. Roxas.  He is married to Korina Sanchez, broadcast journalist from ABS-CBN.  In the April 25, 2009, episode of ABS-CBN noontime show Wowowee where Sanchez appeared as a guest co-host alongside Willie Revillame, Sanchez and Roxas announced their engagement.  Sanchez took a leave of absence from her duties at ABS-CBN on May 2009.

As of 2007, he has a declared net worth of P140.3 million.

On October 27, 2009, Mar Roxas and Korina Sanchez were married during a wedding ceremony held at Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City.  Roxas’ former running mate in the 2010 election, President Noynoy Aquino was one of the couple’s primary wedding sponsors.  Manila Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philippine Madrigal Singers provided the music during the wedding.  Other notable performers include Basil Valdez, Robert Sena and Jaime Rivera.

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.”

·         In 1999, Roxas was named the Asiaweek Magazine as “Political Leader of the New Millennium.”

·         The Singapore Government has awarded him as the 16^th Lee Kuan Yew Fellow.

·         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.

·         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.

Allow me to reiterate that my purpose in the “Presidential Aspirants Series” is to give the opportunity for the public to be exposed on the merits and governance skill sets of perceived presidential aspirants in next year’s election.  And now that you’ve read this piece together with the articles on the other presidential aspirants, are you for Mar Roxas?

Thoughts to promote positive action…

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REFERENCES:

Antonio, A. C., (2015). “This Has To Stop”.  Retrieved on August 11, 2015 from http://antonantonio.blogspot.com/2015/08/this-has-to-stop.html

Wikipedia, (2015).  “Mar Roxas”.  Retrieved on August 11, 2015 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar_Roxas