Raul Roco
Encyclopedia
Raul Sagarbarria Roco was a political figure in the Philippines
. He was the standard-bearer of Aksyon Demokratiko, which he founded in 1997 as a vehicle for his presidential bids in 1998 and 2004
. He was a former senator
and the Secretary of the Department of Education under the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
. He had a strong following among young voters in the Philippines, due to his efforts to promote honesty and good governance
.
Roco was married to Sonia Cubillo Malasarte
, who is from Bohol
. They have six children (Robbie Pierre, Raul Jr., Sophia, Sareena, Rex and Synara) and seven grandchildren (Nica, Reece, Samantha, Shania, Santina, Beannie and RB).
, the son of farmer Sulpicio Azuela Roco and public school teacher Rosario Orlanda Sagarbarria.
Roco finished elementary school at age 10 from Naga Parochial School, and high school at age 14 from Ateneo de Naga. He graduated magna cum laude
from San Beda College
in Manila with a degree in English
at the age of 18. Then, he was also the Editor-in-Chief of The Bedan working with the likes of Rene Saguisag and Jaime Licauco. Later, Roco received a Bachelor of Laws
degree (also at San Beda College) and was the college's Abbott Awardee for Over-All Excellence. In the United States
, he studied Comparative Law as a University Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania
, while also enrolled at the Wharton School for Multinational Studies.
He was the president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines in 1961 and was named one of the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines in 1964. His wife Sonia was the Most Outstanding Student that same year.
As a result of his various other achievements, he had been awarded seven honorary doctorates.
that aimed to amend the 1935 Philippine Constitution. He campaigned for a seat to represent his district in Camarines Sur
. He won and thus became convention's youngest Bicolano delegate.
From 1983 to 1985, he served as president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines
. While there, he was on the legal staff of the late Philippine Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino
, and he drafted the Study Now, Pay Later law.
Alongside his work in law, he has also served as a film producer. In 1974, he was the executive producer of the late film director Lino Brocka's movie Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang; this film won six FAMAS awards that year, including best film.
Among all legislators of the Eighth Congress of the Philippines (which lasted from 1987-1992), he was adjudged by the Ford Foundation and the University of the Philippines Institute of Strategic and Development Studies as first in over-all performance.
Roco has also made several contributions to education in the Philippines. He helped fund the teachers’ cooperatives as well as the increment mandated by the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers for retiring public school teachers. On the students’ side, he helped bring computers into Philippine universities, colleges, and public schools. In addition, he devised a plan for meal scholarships for poor students at the Philippine Normal University.
Roco wrote several bills targeted at protecting and prioritizing women in the Philippines. He wrote the Women in Nation Building Law, the Nursing Act, the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law, the Anti-Rape Law, and the Child and Family Courts Act. He also let women play major roles in the Department of Education’s literacy program. Out of thanks to his services for women, many women's groups named him an "Honorary Woman".
He also drafted a bill that abolished double taxation on Filipinos working abroad.
He was given the Bantay Katarungan award by Kilosbayan for playing an integral role in the Senate impeachment trial of then-president Joseph Estrada
who was impeached by the House of Representatives on 2000 for graft and corruption. bribery, betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Philippine Constitution. Unfortunately, the impeachment trial was not concluded and on 2001, Estrada was ousted from power by another People Power uprising.
), but its Department of Education was also the fourth-most corrupt of its agencies (as named by the Asia Foundation - Social Weather Stations Survey of Enterprises on Public Sector Corruption). To combat this corruption, Roco imposed a department-wide transparency policy which also held employees accountable for the purchase of textbooks, which had been a major source of the department's corruption. This allowed the department to purchase textbooks for a much lower price, and after just eight months under Roco's leadership, the Department of Education gained a 73% public approval rating and became the most trusted government agency in the Philippines.
During his tenure in that position, Roco allowed free public education (through high school) as required by the Philippine Constitution. He also enacted a reform of basic education curriculum in order that children would focus their studies on reading, writing, arithmetic, science, and Makabayan. In addition, he made sure that teachers were paid promptly and ended the 3% "service fee" that the department had long been deducting from teachers' pay.
. He lost to Vice-President Joseph Estrada
but had a remarkable showing in a field of eleven candidates despite being an independent candidate. His strong showing was attributed to the widespread support he received from young Filipinos who eventually formed his party, Aksyon Demokratiko, and its youth arm, Aksyon Kabataan. Party leaders then included Jaime Galvez Tan, Lorna Patajo-Kapunan and Darwin Mariano.
, to form the Alyansa ng Pag-asa (Alliance of Hope).
Despite having the support of Osmeña, who is one of the most influential and most powerful people among Cebuanos, Roco failed to get a huge chunk of votes in the province of Cebu. A public relations blunder hit his campaign when he and his group toured the slums in Cebu City
(planned as an up-close-and-personal strategy to get closer to the voters) expecting thousands of people to come out and greet him. Despite the preparation, only a little over 130 people met him and the very next day, one of the local newspapers published a panoramic shot of Roco in the slums smiling to the camera and the people shown were very few and unenthusiastic. This image created an impression that Cebuanos were not willing to vote Roco for president and in the end, over 80% of Cebu's voters supported President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Roco was a front-runner in pre-election surveys and was considered a strong contender. However, during the campaign, he battled with [recurrence of his cancer], after remission from his bout with prostate cancer
in 1996. His illness forced him to leave the campaign trail for medical attention in the United States
. Doctors told him that his condition was not life-threatening and that he could continue his run for the presidency. He returned to the campaign trail, but concerns about his illness greatly diminished his support.
He lost the election
to the incumbent
, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
, and finished fourth in a field of 5 candidates.
He was the President of Aksyon Demokratiko until his death.
, at St Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City
. He was buried on August 11 in Naga City, Camarines Sur
.
His widow, Sonia, was beaten for Senator
under the Genuine Opposition
(formerly United Opposition) umbrella in the May 14, 2007 midterm elections
and still representing the party he started, Aksyon Demokratiko, in the hopes of continuing the advocacies that her late husband had started.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. He was the standard-bearer of Aksyon Demokratiko, which he founded in 1997 as a vehicle for his presidential bids in 1998 and 2004
Philippine general election, 2004
The senatorial election was held in the Philippines on May 10, 2004. The major coalitions that participated are the Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan composed of parties that support the candidacy of president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino ,...
. He was a former senator
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...
and the Secretary of the Department of Education under the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
. He had a strong following among young voters in the Philippines, due to his efforts to promote honesty and good governance
Good governance
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights. Governance describes "the process of decision-making and the process by which...
.
Roco was married to Sonia Cubillo Malasarte
Sonia Roco
Sonia Cubillo Malasarte-Roco is the widow of Filipino senator and Presidential candidate Raul Roco. She ran for the Senate in the 2007 Philippine Midterm Elections under her late husband's party, Aksyon Demokratiko, which is allied with the broad opposition coalition called Genuine Opposition...
, who is from Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
. They have six children (Robbie Pierre, Raul Jr., Sophia, Sareena, Rex and Synara) and seven grandchildren (Nica, Reece, Samantha, Shania, Santina, Beannie and RB).
Early life & education
Raúl Roco was born in Naga City in the Philippine province of Camarines SurCamarines Sur
Camarines Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders Camarines Norte and Quezon to the north, and Albay to the south...
, the son of farmer Sulpicio Azuela Roco and public school teacher Rosario Orlanda Sagarbarria.
Roco finished elementary school at age 10 from Naga Parochial School, and high school at age 14 from Ateneo de Naga. He graduated magna cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
from San Beda College
San Beda College
San Beda College or Dalubhasaan ng San Beda in Filipino is a Private Benedictine college run by the Benedictine monks in the Philippines. It is located on Mendiola Street in San Miguel, Manila...
in Manila with a degree in English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
at the age of 18. Then, he was also the Editor-in-Chief of The Bedan working with the likes of Rene Saguisag and Jaime Licauco. Later, Roco received a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degree (also at San Beda College) and was the college's Abbott Awardee for Over-All Excellence. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he studied Comparative Law as a University Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, while also enrolled at the Wharton School for Multinational Studies.
He was the president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines in 1961 and was named one of the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines in 1964. His wife Sonia was the Most Outstanding Student that same year.
As a result of his various other achievements, he had been awarded seven honorary doctorates.
Political/professional career
After he passed the bar in 1965, Roco lobbied for the holding of a Constitutional ConventionConstitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
that aimed to amend the 1935 Philippine Constitution. He campaigned for a seat to represent his district in Camarines Sur
Camarines Sur
Camarines Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders Camarines Norte and Quezon to the north, and Albay to the south...
. He won and thus became convention's youngest Bicolano delegate.
From 1983 to 1985, he served as president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines
Integrated Bar of the Philippines
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines is the national organization of lawyers in the Philippines. It is the mandatory bar association for Filipino lawyers.-History:...
. While there, he was on the legal staff of the late Philippine Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino
Benigno Aquino, Jr.
Benigno Simeon "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. was a Filipino Senator and a former Governor of Tarlac. Aquino, together with Gerry Roxas and Jovito Salonga, formed the leadership of the opposition to the Marcos regime in the years leading to the imposition of martial law in the Philippines...
, and he drafted the Study Now, Pay Later law.
Alongside his work in law, he has also served as a film producer. In 1974, he was the executive producer of the late film director Lino Brocka's movie Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang; this film won six FAMAS awards that year, including best film.
Among all legislators of the Eighth Congress of the Philippines (which lasted from 1987-1992), he was adjudged by the Ford Foundation and the University of the Philippines Institute of Strategic and Development Studies as first in over-all performance.
As senator
Roco served as a senator from 1992 to 2001, making many contributions that led many to recognize him as an "outstanding senator". He wrote the law which reformed the nation's banking system; this earned him the title "Father of the Bangko Sentral". Some other laws that he wrote resulted in the liberalization of the banking industry and the strengthening of the thrift banks. In addition, he wrote the Intellectual Property Code and the Securities Regulation Code.Roco has also made several contributions to education in the Philippines. He helped fund the teachers’ cooperatives as well as the increment mandated by the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers for retiring public school teachers. On the students’ side, he helped bring computers into Philippine universities, colleges, and public schools. In addition, he devised a plan for meal scholarships for poor students at the Philippine Normal University.
Roco wrote several bills targeted at protecting and prioritizing women in the Philippines. He wrote the Women in Nation Building Law, the Nursing Act, the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law, the Anti-Rape Law, and the Child and Family Courts Act. He also let women play major roles in the Department of Education’s literacy program. Out of thanks to his services for women, many women's groups named him an "Honorary Woman".
He also drafted a bill that abolished double taxation on Filipinos working abroad.
He was given the Bantay Katarungan award by Kilosbayan for playing an integral role in the Senate impeachment trial of then-president 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...
who was impeached by the House of Representatives on 2000 for graft and corruption. bribery, betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Philippine Constitution. Unfortunately, the impeachment trial was not concluded and on 2001, Estrada was ousted from power by another People Power uprising.
As Secretary of Education
Roco took over as education secretary of the Philippines in 2001, at a time when the Philippines had not only one of the ten most corrupt governments in the world (according to Transparency InternationalTransparency International
Transparency International is a non-governmental organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in international development. It publishes an annual Corruption Perceptions Index, a comparative listing of corruption worldwide...
), but its Department of Education was also the fourth-most corrupt of its agencies (as named by the Asia Foundation - Social Weather Stations Survey of Enterprises on Public Sector Corruption). To combat this corruption, Roco imposed a department-wide transparency policy which also held employees accountable for the purchase of textbooks, which had been a major source of the department's corruption. This allowed the department to purchase textbooks for a much lower price, and after just eight months under Roco's leadership, the Department of Education gained a 73% public approval rating and became the most trusted government agency in the Philippines.
During his tenure in that position, Roco allowed free public education (through high school) as required by the Philippine Constitution. He also enacted a reform of basic education curriculum in order that children would focus their studies on reading, writing, arithmetic, science, and Makabayan. In addition, he made sure that teachers were paid promptly and ended the 3% "service fee" that the department had long been deducting from teachers' pay.
1998
Roco ran for president in the 1998 Philippine electionPhilippine presidential election, 1998
Presidential elections, legislative elections and local elections were held in the Philippines on May 11, 1998. In the presidential election, Vice President Joseph Estrada won a six-year term as President by a landslide victory. In the vice-presidential race, Senator Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo won a...
. He lost to Vice-President 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...
but had a remarkable showing in a field of eleven candidates despite being an independent candidate. His strong showing was attributed to the widespread support he received from young Filipinos who eventually formed his party, Aksyon Demokratiko, and its youth arm, Aksyon Kabataan. Party leaders then included Jaime Galvez Tan, Lorna Patajo-Kapunan and Darwin Mariano.
2004
Roco rode his success in the Department of Education into a run for the Philippine presidency. His candidacy was based on his ability to fight corruption and to display fair play, decency, and honor. His Aksyon Demokratiko party formed a coalition with Promdi and Reporma, the parties of 1998 presidential candidates Lito Osmeña and Renato de VillaRenato de Villa
Renato "Rene" de Villa is a political figure in the Philippines and founder of the rightist political party Partido ng Demokratikong Reporma-Lapiang Manggagawa.-Biography:...
, to form the Alyansa ng Pag-asa (Alliance of Hope).
Despite having the support of Osmeña, who is one of the most influential and most powerful people among Cebuanos, Roco failed to get a huge chunk of votes in the province of Cebu. A public relations blunder hit his campaign when he and his group toured the slums in 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...
(planned as an up-close-and-personal strategy to get closer to the voters) expecting thousands of people to come out and greet him. Despite the preparation, only a little over 130 people met him and the very next day, one of the local newspapers published a panoramic shot of Roco in the slums smiling to the camera and the people shown were very few and unenthusiastic. This image created an impression that Cebuanos were not willing to vote Roco for president and in the end, over 80% of Cebu's voters supported President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Roco was a front-runner in pre-election surveys and was considered a strong contender. However, during the campaign, he battled with [recurrence of his cancer], after remission from his bout with prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
in 1996. His illness forced him to leave the campaign trail for medical attention in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Doctors told him that his condition was not life-threatening and that he could continue his run for the presidency. He returned to the campaign trail, but concerns about his illness greatly diminished his support.
He lost the election
Philippine presidential election, 2004
The Philippine presidential and vice presidential elections of 2004 was held on Monday, May 10, 2004. In the presidential election, incumbent president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo successfully won a full six-year term as President, with a margin of just over one million votes over her leading opponent,...
to the incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
, and finished fourth in a field of 5 candidates.
He was the President of Aksyon Demokratiko until his death.
Death
On 5 August 2005, Raul Roco died of prostate cancerProstate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
, at St Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
. He was buried on August 11 in Naga City, Camarines Sur
Camarines Sur
Camarines Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders Camarines Norte and Quezon to the north, and Albay to the south...
.
His widow, Sonia, was beaten for Senator
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...
under the Genuine Opposition
Genuine Opposition
Genuine Opposition is the umbrella political coalition of the parties' senatorial line-up for the 2007 Philippine midterm elections, which is in opposition to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo...
(formerly United Opposition) umbrella in the May 14, 2007 midterm elections
Philippine general election, 2007
Legislative and local elections were held in the Philippines on May 14, 2007. Positions contested included half the seats in the Senate, which are elected for six-year terms, and all the seats in the House of Representatives, who were elected for three-year terms...
and still representing the party he started, Aksyon Demokratiko, in the hopes of continuing the advocacies that her late husband had started.
External links
- Official website
- Aksyon Demokratiko
- Biography at the Senate of the Philippines website
- Former senator Roco dies News of his death and obituary in the Philippine Inquirer
- Ex-senator Roco passes away (11.01 a.m.) News of his death in the Sunstar
- Raul Roco succumbs to prostate cancer Article from ABS-CBN news
- The grass will be greener the next day Article from INQ7.net
- Malacañan: Roco a true patriot, freedom fighter Article from ABS-CBN with reactions from other Philippine politicians
- Roco in search of Camelot Philippine Daily Inquirer article
- A single photographic tribute to the great Late Senator Roco Aboard PR103 with Rob, Lyds and Ron Oania