Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr.

Biography | Agenda

Family:

Wife: Lourdes de la Llana, M.A. Guidance & Counselling; A.B.-BSE, Xavier University, of Candelaria, Zambales.

Parents (both deceased): Aquilino E. Pimentel, lawyer, of Cagayan de Oro City and Petra Quilinging, public school teacher, of Batac, Ilocos Norte

Parents-in-law (both deceased): Justo de la Llana, doctor of medicine, of Candelaria, Zambales and Remedios del Carmen of Iba, Zambales.

Children: 6

• Gwendolyn Petrecia, M.A. in Public Administration, UP National College of Public Administration and Governance; Ll.B., UP College of Law; A.B. International Studies, Maryknoll College; married to Luis L. Gana, Ll.B., UP College of Law; A.B. UP School of Economics.
• Ma. Petrina, M.A. in MassCom, California State University, Northridge, California, USA; A.B., Economics, Ateneo de Manila; married to Baljit Brar, businessman based in California, U.S.A;
• Aquilino Martin, Ll.B., UP College of Law; topped the 1990 Bar Examinations; B.S. Math, Ateneo de Manila University; married to Jewel May Lobaton, B.S. Biology, University of Saint La Salle; 1998 Binibining Pilipinas Universe;
• Aquilino Justinian, M.D., F.P.O.A., orthopaedic surgeon, with graduate work at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; topped the 1998 Orthopaedic Fellowship Examinations; doctor of medicine, University of the East; married to Maria Lina Fernandez, M.D., F.P.D.S., dermatopathologist, with graduate work at the Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; doctor of medicine, University of Santo Tomas;
• Teresa Lourdes, Ll.B., and B.S. Psychology, Xavier University; and
• Lorraine Marie, M.A. Internet Technology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA; M.A. Comparative Politics, Claremont Graduate University, California, USA; A.B., Interdisciplinary Studies, Ateneo de Manila University; married to Alain Borghijs, Ph.D. in Economics, University of Antwerp, Belgium.

Grandchildren: 6

• Dominique Pimentel Gana, 17 years old;
• Petrina Pimentel Gana, 14 years old;
• Aquilino Crescencio Fernandez Pimentel, 13 years old;
• Aquilou Marie Fernandez Pimentel, 6 years old;
• Aquilino Martin Emmanuel Pimentel, 3 years old; and
• Katrina Preet Gwyn Pimentel Brar, 2 years old

Present work

SENATOR of the Republic, 2004-2010

Senate Minority Leader, July 26, 2004 - present

Cited annually by mass media, civic and religious organizations as Outstanding Senator.

Some significant legislative outputs that he authored and co-sponsored:

• Republic Act No. 7160, The Local Government Code of 1991. The Code liberates provinces, cities, municipalities and barangay from over-dependence upon the central government by increasing their powers and share in the taxes and wealth of the nation.
  
• Republic Act No. 6938, The Cooperative Code. The Code provides government support for the establishment of all kinds of cooperatives to help combat poverty.
  
• Republic Act No. 6678, The Generic Drugs Act. The law encourages the use of generic drugs (medicine) as a way of reducing the costs of medicine.
  
• Republic Act No. 6847, The Philippine Sports Commission Act. The law rationalizes sports activities in the country to help discover and develop international-caliber athletes.
  
• Republic Act No. 6734, An Act Creating the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The law seeks to dissipate the causes of unrest and secession in the Muslim provinces of Mindanao.
  
• Republic Act No. 6975, An Act Establishing the Philippine National Police under a reorganized Department of the Interior and Local Government. The law detaches the police from the military and places it completely under civilian supervision and control.
  
• The People's Small-Scale Mining Act. The law allows small-scale miners to lawfully engage in mining activities.

Political experience

• Elected Delegate, Constitutional Convention, 1971;
• Elected Mayor of Cagayan de Oro City, 1980-84;
• Elected Member of Parliament (Batasan Pambansa), 1984-86;
• Appointed Minister of Local Government by President Corazon C. Aquino, 1986;
• Appointed Presidential Adviser and Chief Negotiator with the Muslim rebels by President Aquino, 1987;
• Elected Senator of the Republic, 1987-1992;
• Cheated of victory by means of dagdag/bawas in the 1995 senatorial elections; whereupon he sued the cheaters before the criminal courts where the cases are still being tried. He, has, however, established by incontrovertible evidence in the Senate Electoral Tribunal the existence of massive dagdag/bawas fraudulent count in the said senatorial elections.
• Elected Senator of the Republic, 1998-2004. As a senator, he continues the crusade to curb graft and corruption in government; the fight for electoral reforms and the prosecution of the criminal cases against the cheats in the 1995 & 1998 elections.
• Elected as the 19th Senate President of the Republic, November 13, 2000.
• Elected as the Senate Minority Leader in the opening of the 12th Congress, July 23, 2001.
• Elected Senator of the Republic, 2004-2010.
• Elected as the Senate Minority Leader, July 26, 2004 - present.

Ousters from public office

• 1982 - Ousted by the Marcos government as Mayor of Cagayan de Oro City; reinstated by people-power demonstrations, the first ever in the country; and
• 1984 - Ousted by the Marcos government as Assemblyman; reinstated by the Supreme Court.

Martial law arrests and detentions

• 1973 - Camp Crame, Quezon City, for opposing the Marcos constitution;
• 1978 - Camp Bicutan, Metro Manila, for leading a demonstration against the farcical Interim Batasan Pambansa elections in 1978;
• 1983 - Camp Sergio Osmeña and Camp Sotero Cabahug in Cebu City and house arrest in Cagayan de Oro City on charges of rebellion; and
• Arrested in Cagayan de Oro City for allegedly engaging in ambuscades in Cebu. People contributed centavos and pesos in small denominations to bail him out.

Academic qualifications

• A.B.-Law, Xavier University [1959]
• Doctor of Humanities (Honoris Causa), Xavier University [March 27, 1993]
• Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa), University of Baguio [March 13, 2000]
• Doctor of Humanities (Honoris Causa), Notre Dame University [March 17, 2001]
• Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa), Sultan Kudarat Polytechnic State College [April 12, 2004]
• Doctor in Public Administration (Honoris Causa), Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Mabini Campus, Santa Mesa, Manila [May 6, 2005]

Private work experience

• 1960-80 - Practicing Lawyer;
• 1962-67 - Dean, College of Law, Xavier University;
• 1975-79 - Professor, College of Law, San Beda College;
• 1977-79 - Professor, College of Law, Far Eastern University; Counsel, Justice and Peace Committee, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines;

Book author:

• The Local Government Code: The Key to National Development (Cacho Hermanos, Manila, 1993);
• The Barangay and the Local Government Code (Rex Bookstore, Manila, 1994);
• Cooperative Code of the Philippines: Theory, Law and Practice (White Orchids Printing & Publishing Co., Quezon City) with co-author, Atty. Mordino R. Cua (1994);
• Handbook on Cooperatives (White Orchids Printing & Publishing Co., Quezon City, 1996);
• Martial Law in the Philippines: My Story (Cacho Hermanos, Manila, 2006);
• The Making of the Human Security Act of 2007 [The Philippine Anti-Terrorism Law] Perception and Reality (The Philippine Normal University Press, 2007); and
• The Local Government Code Revisited (In the PNU Press, 2007).
  

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