Teofisto Guingona Jr.

Guingona was born on July 4, 1928 in San Juan, Rizal. His father, Teofisto Guingona, Sr., was a former assemblyman, senator, judge and commissioner from Guimaras, Iloilo. His mother, Josefa Tayko, is of Siaton, Negros Oriental. He grew up in the provinces Agusan, Lanao, and Misamis Oriental, where he completed his elementary schooling with honors in Ateneo de Cagayan.[1] He pursued his studies at the Ateneo de Manila University as a working student, teaching history and political science while taking up courses in law and economics. He took up special studies in Public Administration, Economics, Sociology and Audit, in addition to playing a role in founding the Aquila Legis fraternity. After graduation, he went into business and became a Governor of the Development Bank of the Philippines and President of the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.[1]

Guingona was a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention and, when martial law was declared in 1972 by President Ferdinand Marcos, he resisted the abuses of the regime, serving as a human rights lawyer. He founded SANDATA and became the honorary chairman of BANDILA, two mass-based organizations dedicated to social and economic reforms. Because of his opposition to martial rule he was jailed twice, first in 1972 and then in 1978.[1] When Marcos was ousted as a result of the People Power Revolution, newly installed President Corazon Aquino appointed Guingona as Chairman of the Commission on Audit where he gained renown as a graft buster.[1]

Guingona was first elected to the Senate in 1987 under the Aquino-backed Lakas ng Bayan coalition. He was elected as Senate President pro tempore in 1987 and Majority Leader in 1990. Additionally, he served as director and chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority and the Mindanao Labor Management Advisory Council.[1]

In 1992, he ran for reelection under the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino of Speaker of the House Ramon Mitra Jr. and won, placing 14th in the Senate race. He became Majority Leader again in 1993 but his term in the Senate was cut short when President Fidel V. Ramos appointed him as Executive Secretary the same year. In 1998, he was elected again to the Senate under the Lakas-NUCD and was elected as Minority Leader. He spoke out against the anomalies in the administration of President Joseph Estrada and was among the first to call for his resignation. On January 17, 2001, he was one of the senators who voted in favor of opening an envelope that was said to contain incriminating evidence against Estrada. The final vote was 11-10, in favor of keeping the envelope closed, which further fueled anti-Estrada sentiments that led to another uprising in EDSA. When Estrada was ousted, Guingona emerged as the top choice for a successor to Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who succeeded Estrada as president.[1]

President Fidel V. Ramos appointed him as Executive Secretary in 1993, replacing Edelmiro Amante, who resigned. In 1995, he was appointed as Justice Secretary. As Justice Secretary, he rejuvenated the Witness Protection Program and established the Prosecution Academy. He also implemented the Katarungang Pambarangay and heightened public awareness of the Barangay Justice Program. He also held, in a concurrent capacity, the chairmanship of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission.

Following the Second EDSA Revolution in January 2001, Guingona was appointed as Vice President of the Philippines by Arroyo on February 7.[2][3] Guingona is the only vice president who was not nationally elected to the position. He is also the oldest person to hold the position when he was appointed at the age of 72. He also concurrently served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs. During his time as vice-president, he was often at odds with Arroyo, particularly over foreign policy. He resigned as Secretary of Foreign Affairs on July 2, 2002. He also resigned from the Lakas-NUCD on October 3, 2003. In the 2004 Philippine elections, Guingona did not seek a full term election and was succeeded by Noli de Castro. In that election, he supported the presidential and vice-presidential bids of opposition candidates Fernando Poe Jr. and Senator Loren Legarda, respectively.

After the defeat of his candidate Fernando Poe Jr., Guingona supported the administration of Arroyo again by accepting the position of Ambassador to China. He resigned as ambassador and joined the opposition again at the height of the Hello Garci scandal, a political scandal involving Arroyo's rigging of the 2004 presidential elections. On November 29, 2007, Guingona participated in the Manila Peninsula rebellion, a mutiny led by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Brigader General Danilo Lim that called for Arroyo's resignation. He was arrested afterwards but on December 13, 2007, the Makati City Regional Trial Court dismissed rebellion cases against him.[4] Guingona wrote his 346-page book Fight for the Filipino, which contains his memoirs. It was launched on July 4, 2008, his 80th birthday at the Manila Hotel.[5]

He is married to Ruth de Lara, former mayor and incumbent vice mayor of Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental. His son, Teofisto III is a former Senator of the Philippines, while his daughter, Stella Marie, is the incumbent mayor of Gingoog.[1]

• Zaide, Sonia M. (2001). The Philippines: A Unique Nation 3rd Ed. All Nations Publishing.

• Office of the Vice President of the Philippines - Guingona (2001-2004)
• Senate of the Philippines - Teofisto Guingona's Profile