ANGARA, EDGARDO "ED" J.: SLB Profile

Date of Birth: September 24, 1934
Place of Birth: Baler, Aurora Province

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

College: Bachelor of Laws, University of the Philippines, 1958
Higher Studies: Master of Laws, University of Michigan, 1964

TRACK RECORD:

July 2001 – Present Senator, Senate of the Philippines
September 2004 – Present Chairman, Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies
Chairman, Committee on Peace, Unification and Reconciliation

March 31, 2005 (until 2007) Charter President, South East Asia Parliamentarians Against Corruption (SEAPAC)

March 15, 2005 – Present Chairman, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP)

September 2001 - September 2004 Chairman, Committee on Constitutional Amendments, Revision of Codes and Laws

January 6 - 20, 2001 Executive Secretary, Office of the President

May 25, 1999 - January 5, 2001 Secretary, Department of Agriculture

1998 - March 15, 2005 President, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP)

July 1998 - May 1999 Chairman, Philippine National Bank (PNB)

January 1993 - August 1995 Senate President, Senate of the Philippines
Chairman, Commission on Appointments

1987-1998 Senator, Senate of the Philippines

1997-1998 Chairman, Congressional Commission on Agricultural Modernization
Chairman, Committees on Agriculture and
Food, Foreign Relations, and Economic Affairs

September 1995 - October 1996 Minority Leader, Senate of the Philippines

1992 - 1993 Chairman, Committee on Finance

1987 - 1992 Chairman, Committee on Education, Arts and Culture Chairman, Committee on Health

1990 - 1991 Chairman, Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM)

May 1994 - January 1998 Chairman, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP)

1981 - 1987 President, University of the Philippines

1980 - 1981 Founding President, ASEAN Law Association

1979 - 1981 President, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)

1975 - 1976 President, Philippine Bar Association

1971 Delegate, 1971 Constitutional Convention

It was during his term as Senate President (1993-1995) that he voted for the approval of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) despite its underlying ideology of liberal capitalism which prioritizes profit over labor, stresses competition over cooperation, and absolutizes the right to private property over the needs of the community.

ATTENDANCE*

	Total Sessions	Present	Absent	Mission
13th Congress
First Session	95	72	5	18
Second Session	85	59	6	20
12th Congress
First Session	83	71	3	9
Second Session	92	68	12	12

*There were days that the roll call was dispensed with; M=official mission/business

Expenditures
Commission on Audit Report covering January 1 to December 31, 2002
Salary	P420,000.00
Senator’s Travel
Local	P224,400.00
Foreign	0
Staff’s Travel
Local	P1,076,800.00
Foreign	0
Salaries and Benefits of Staff	P2,338,101.13
Meetings and Conferences	P262,800.00
Professional or Consultancy Fee	P1,473,507.22
Supplies of Materials	P11,068.11
Rental of Office Space and Equipment	P940,440.00
Extraordinary and Miscellaneous Expenses	P345,000.00
Other Maintenance and Operating Expenses	P7,869,387.47
Capital Outlay	0
Total	P14,781,503.95

CAMPAIGN SPENDING:

Period Covered: 12 February to 18 May 2001
Total contributions from political party organizations:
Total contributions from other persons:	P24,000,000
Total contributions:	P24,000,000
Total expenditures paid by candidate out of personal funds:	P4,165,122.57
Total expenditures paid out of contributions received:	P24,000,000.00
Total expenditures sourced from loans:	P7,100,000.00
Total expenditures:	P35,165,122.57

PLATFORM:

Education, senior citizen welfare, arts, environment, agricultural modernization

HONORS/AWARDS:

Commandeur dans I'ordre des Palmes, Government of France

Lee Kuan Yew Fellow, Republic of Singapore

Most Distinguished Alumnus Award, University of the Philippines

Highest Professional Award, U.P. College of Law

Doctor of Educational Management (Honoris Causa), De La Salle University

Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa), Southwestern University

Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa), Mindanao State University

Doctor of Humane Letters (Honoris Causa), Philippine Normal University

Doctor of Humane Studies (Honoris Causa), Pangasinan State University

Doctor of Education (Honoris Causa), Don Mariano Marcos State University

Medalya ng Karangalan, Provincial Government of Quezon

Dangal ng Aurora Award for Public Service, Province of Aurora

STAND ON THE CHARTER CHANGE ISSUE:

It has been reported that the proponents of Charter Change are now falling back on Plan B - the so called Constituent Assembly route where the revision will be accomplished by 194 votes coming only from the House of Representatives, without the participation of the Senate.

That is the House's literal reading of the ¾ vote requirement for the proposal. The big error in this argument is that Congress must first of all be convened as a Constituent Assembly. In other words, Congress must be on a Constitution-making mode, rather than merely in a law-making mode.

In this case, there was no convening of a Constituent Assembly. Convening a Constituent Assembly means both Houses of Congress - the Senate and House of Representatives - voting separately. I myself am for Charter amendment through a Constituent Assembly but it must be convened properly - that means, both Houses voting separately and not treating the Senate as a mere number.

That is why it is beyond understanding why the Constituent Assembly route will pass Constitutional muster when the case for it is even weaker than the People's Initiative.

The Constituent Assembly proponents, therefore, might as well give up Plan B and renew their advocacy right after the May 2007 elections when Congress would have received a fresh mandate.