Benjamin Abalos
Encyclopedia
Benjamin S. Abalos, Sr. (born on September 21, 1935 in Pangasinan
) is a politician and is a former chairman of the Philippine Commission on Election
. He was also a MMDA Chairman and Mandaluyong City
Mayor. He is the father of current Mandaluyong City
mayor Benjamin "Benhur" Abalos, Jr.
.
In 1963, Abalos ran for vice mayor of Mandaluyong, which was then part of Rizal
. He lost to the scion of a political family in what he alleges to have been a fraud-ridden local election.
For the next several years he served as judge. While his record as judge is not associated with any monumental legal feat, he loves talking of how he was named as outstanding judge for 10 straight years.
In the course of his career as judge, he would meet and forge a partnership with Neptali Gonzalez, an opposition leader at that time who would eventually become Senate President.
prevented him from serving as mayor.
In 1986, shortly after Marcos was ousted through a popular uprising, President Corazon Aquino
appointed him as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) mayor of Mandaluyong.
He ran for Mandaluyong mayor and won in the local elections of 1988, the first local elections under the 1987 Constitution. He ran for the same post and won in the elections of 1992, 1995, and 1998 –- using up the constitutionally-mandated limit of three consecutive terms for local officials.
Up to 1991, Abalos was an active member of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), when he and others in a group led by Gonzalez split over Senate leadership rivalries with Sen. Edgardo Angara
. He became part of the Lakas-National Union of Christian Democrats (Lakas-NUCD), which fielded former Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos
in the 1992 presidential elections.
Abalos also served as Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
Chairman from 2001 to 2002 until his appointment for COMELEC
.
as Chairman of the Commission. However, the Commission on Appointments did not confirm his appointment due to opposition of some Commissioners led by Luzviminda Tancangco. On June 5, 2002 President Arroyo appointed Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
Chairman and former Mandaluyong City
mayor Benjamin S. Abalos, Sr. to replace Benipayo.
Vice Governor
Rolex Suplico filed a 64-page impeachment
complaint
(3:00 p.m.) against Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos, Sr. before the House of Representatives of the Philippines
regarding the ZTE
national broadband
network (NBN) deal. It was endorsed by Representatives Teofisto Guingona III of Bukidnon
and Teodoro Casiño
of Bayan Muna
(People First), and Zamboanga City
Representative Ma. Isabelle Climaco. Affidavits of Romulo Neri
and Jose de Venecia III supported the complaint. On October 1, 2007, COMELEC Chairman Benjamin Abalos, Sr. faced with an impending impeachment case resigned in a press conference. The Commission on Elections appointed Resurreccion Borra
as Acting Chairman. Mr. Abalos stated: "I'm resigning... effective immediately," Mr. Abalos told a news conference. "However, let not my detractors feast on this declaration. I'm not admitting guilt for any wrongdoing." An impeachment complaint against Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr was formally filed before the House of Representatives after Romulo Neri, former chief of the National Economic Development Authority (Neda), accused Abalos of attempting to bribe him.
Abalos denied brokering for the National Broadband Network project despite admitting he knows some officials in ZTE Corp. He admitted making four trips to China and playing golf there. He also admitted that ZTE officials, whom he says are his golf buddies, hosted and paid for the trips.
Jose de Venecia III, son of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr, alleged that Abalos offered him US$10 million to withdraw his proposal on the NBN project. De Venecia is a majority shareholder of Amsterdam Holdings Inc., a company that submitted an unsolicited proposal on the NBN project. De Venecia also claimed that Abalos asked for money from the ZTE Corp. officials.
.
On January 21, 2004, Pimentel filed criminal and administrative charges before the Ombudsman against Abalos and other commissioners in connection with the deal. Abalos described the charges as a "demolition job."
Pimentel accused Abalos and the other commissioners of committing an act of impropriety when they and their wives traveled to Seoul, South Korea
to visit the plant of the maker of the counting machines a few months before the bidding for the contract started. Pimentel said he received information that the Korean company paid for the plane tickets and hotel accommodations for the trip.
However, Abalos claimed that the expenses for the trip were paid for out of the P1 million he won in a golf tournament in Wack Wack.
On September 27, 2006, the Ombudsman, in a resolution, absolved all respondents involved in the Mega Pacific controversy of all administrative and criminal liabilities "for lack of probable cause." It also reversed its June 28 resolution which contained factual findings that can be used by the House of Representatives to initiate impeachment proceedings against Comelec Commissioner Resurreccion Borra
.
Pangasinan
Pangasinan is a province of the Republic of the Philippines. The provincial capital is Lingayen. Pangasinan is located on the west central and peripheral area of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, with the total land area being 5,368.82 square kilometers . According to the latest census,...
) is a politician and is a former chairman of the Philippine Commission on Election
Commission on Elections (Philippines)
The Commission on Elections, or COMELEC, is one of the three constitutional commissions of the Philippines. Its principal role is to enforce all laws and regulations relative to the conduct of elections, initiatives, referendums, and recalls....
. He was also a MMDA Chairman and Mandaluyong City
Mandaluyong City
The City of Mandaluyong is one of the cities and municipalities that comprise Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the west by the country's capital, Manila, to the north by San Juan City, to the east by Quezon City and Pasig City, and by Makati City to the south...
Mayor. He is the father of current Mandaluyong City
Mandaluyong City
The City of Mandaluyong is one of the cities and municipalities that comprise Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the west by the country's capital, Manila, to the north by San Juan City, to the east by Quezon City and Pasig City, and by Makati City to the south...
mayor Benjamin "Benhur" Abalos, Jr.
Benjamin Abalos, Jr.
Benjamin Abalos, Jr. is a politician from the Republic of the Philippines and is known locally as "BenHur". He currently serves as the Mayor of Mandaluyong City. He is the son of former COMELEC chairman, Benjamin Abalos....
.
Early life
Benjamin Abalos was born into a poor family in Pangasinan on Sept. 21, 1935. A 1957 law graduate of the Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU), Abalos claims to have supported himself through college by working as a janitor, factory worker, and a caddy at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.In 1963, Abalos ran for vice mayor of Mandaluyong, which was then part of Rizal
Rizal
Rizal is a province located in the CALABARZON , just 16 kilometers east of Manila. The province was named after the country's national hero, José Rizal. Rizal Governor Casimiro A. Ynares III on June 17, 2008 announced the transfer of the Capitol from Pasig. Its P 270-million capitol building,...
. He lost to the scion of a political family in what he alleges to have been a fraud-ridden local election.
For the next several years he served as judge. While his record as judge is not associated with any monumental legal feat, he loves talking of how he was named as outstanding judge for 10 straight years.
In the course of his career as judge, he would meet and forge a partnership with Neptali Gonzalez, an opposition leader at that time who would eventually become Senate President.
Personal life
He is married by Cora Abalos, with 5 children including incumbent Mandaluyong City mayor Benjamin Abalos, Jr.Benjamin Abalos, Jr.
Benjamin Abalos, Jr. is a politician from the Republic of the Philippines and is known locally as "BenHur". He currently serves as the Mayor of Mandaluyong City. He is the son of former COMELEC chairman, Benjamin Abalos....
Mayor of Mandaluyong
He ran for Mandaluyong mayor in 1980. He claims to have won in the count, but says he was unable to assume his post. This, he says, is because the late dictator Ferdinand MarcosFerdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
prevented him from serving as mayor.
In 1986, shortly after Marcos was ousted through a popular uprising, President Corazon Aquino
Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
appointed him as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) mayor of Mandaluyong.
He ran for Mandaluyong mayor and won in the local elections of 1988, the first local elections under the 1987 Constitution. He ran for the same post and won in the elections of 1992, 1995, and 1998 –- using up the constitutionally-mandated limit of three consecutive terms for local officials.
Up to 1991, Abalos was an active member of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), when he and others in a group led by Gonzalez split over Senate leadership rivalries with Sen. Edgardo Angara
Edgardo Angara
Edgardo Javier Angara is a Filipino politician who served as President of the Senate of the Philippines from 1993-1995. He is currently serving his fourth term in the Senate which ends in 2013.-Early life and career:...
. He became part of the Lakas-National Union of Christian Democrats (Lakas-NUCD), which fielded former Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos
Fidel V. Ramos
Fidel "Eddie" Valdez Ramos , popularly known as FVR, was the 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. During his six years in office, Ramos was widely credited and admired by many for revitalizing and renewing international confidence in the Philippine economy.Prior to his election as...
in the 1992 presidential elections.
Chairman of MMDA
On January 20, 2001, Abalos was appointed chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), a post he held until the following year. He takes pride in the cleanliness drive he implemented as MMDA chairman.Abalos also served as Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority , is an agency of the Republic of the Philippines created embracing the cities of Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan, Pasay, Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasig, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Valenzuela, Malabon, Taguig, Navotas and San Juan and the...
Chairman from 2001 to 2002 until his appointment for COMELEC
Commission on Elections (Philippines)
The Commission on Elections, or COMELEC, is one of the three constitutional commissions of the Philippines. Its principal role is to enforce all laws and regulations relative to the conduct of elections, initiatives, referendums, and recalls....
.
Chairman of COMELEC
On February 19, 2001 President Arroyo appointed Justice Alfredo BenipayoAlfredo Benipayo
Alfredo Logronio Benipayo is the former Dean of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law, the oldest law school in the Philippines. He is a former magistrate and a respected law professor and bar reviewer in the country....
as Chairman of the Commission. However, the Commission on Appointments did not confirm his appointment due to opposition of some Commissioners led by Luzviminda Tancangco. On June 5, 2002 President Arroyo appointed Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority , is an agency of the Republic of the Philippines created embracing the cities of Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan, Pasay, Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasig, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Valenzuela, Malabon, Taguig, Navotas and San Juan and the...
Chairman and former Mandaluyong City
Mandaluyong City
The City of Mandaluyong is one of the cities and municipalities that comprise Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the west by the country's capital, Manila, to the north by San Juan City, to the east by Quezon City and Pasig City, and by Makati City to the south...
mayor Benjamin S. Abalos, Sr. to replace Benipayo.
Impeachment complaint
On September 27, 2007, IloiloIloilo
Iloilo is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Iloilo occupies the southeast portion of Panay Island and is bordered by Antique Province to the west and Capiz Province and the Jintotolo Channel to the north. Just off Iloilo's southeast coast is Guimaras Province,...
Vice Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Rolex Suplico filed a 64-page impeachment
Impeachment
Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
complaint
Complaint
In legal terminology, a complaint is a formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons that the filing party or parties In legal terminology, a complaint is a formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons (see: cause of action) that the filing party or parties In...
(3:00 p.m.) against Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos, Sr. before the House of Representatives of the Philippines
House of Representatives of the Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...
regarding the ZTE
ZTE
ZTE Corporation formerly Zhongxing Telecommunication Equipment Corporation is a Chinese multinational telecommunications equipment and systems company headquartered in Shenzhen, China...
national broadband
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
network (NBN) deal. It was endorsed by Representatives Teofisto Guingona III of Bukidnon
Bukidnon
Bukidnon is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Malaybalay City. The province borders, clockwise starting from the north, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Norte, Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, and Lanao del Norte.Bukidnon is...
and Teodoro Casiño
Teodoro Casiño
Teodoro A. Casiño is a Filipino partylist representative, writer and journalist. He is a member of the House of Representatives for Bayan Muna in the 14th Congress of the Philippines.-Early Biography:...
of Bayan Muna
Bayan Muna
Bayan Muna is a leftist political party in the Philippines.The motto of the party is "New Politics, the Politics of Change", against "traditional, elitist, pro-imperialist politics". Its platform includes the advocation of a government that progressively supports the working class, with meaningful...
(People First), and Zamboanga City
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
Representative Ma. Isabelle Climaco. Affidavits of Romulo Neri
Romulo Neri
Romulo Neri is a Filipino politician and former Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority , acting secretary of Department of Budget and Management , chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education and President of Social Security System under former President Gloria...
and Jose de Venecia III supported the complaint. On October 1, 2007, COMELEC Chairman Benjamin Abalos, Sr. faced with an impending impeachment case resigned in a press conference. The Commission on Elections appointed Resurreccion Borra
Resurreccion Borra
Resurreccion Borra is a Filipino public servant who is a Career Executive Service Officer , a former commissioner and was the Acting Chairman of the Philippine Commission on Elections. He was the most senior Commissioner of COMELEC who has served the agency for over 44 years...
as Acting Chairman. Mr. Abalos stated: "I'm resigning... effective immediately," Mr. Abalos told a news conference. "However, let not my detractors feast on this declaration. I'm not admitting guilt for any wrongdoing." An impeachment complaint against Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr was formally filed before the House of Representatives after Romulo Neri, former chief of the National Economic Development Authority (Neda), accused Abalos of attempting to bribe him.
ZTE broadband contract controversy
In August 2007, Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Carlos Padilla delivered a privilege speech alleging that Abalos brokered for the national broadband network (NBN) project. Padilla claimed that Abalos met with officials of the Chinese firm ZTE Corp., which got the US $329 million contract for the broadband project.Abalos denied brokering for the National Broadband Network project despite admitting he knows some officials in ZTE Corp. He admitted making four trips to China and playing golf there. He also admitted that ZTE officials, whom he says are his golf buddies, hosted and paid for the trips.
Jose de Venecia III, son of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr, alleged that Abalos offered him US$10 million to withdraw his proposal on the NBN project. De Venecia is a majority shareholder of Amsterdam Holdings Inc., a company that submitted an unsolicited proposal on the NBN project. De Venecia also claimed that Abalos asked for money from the ZTE Corp. officials.
Hello Garci
Abalos was mentioned in the "Hello Garci" tape, which refers to the alleged wiretapped conversations where vote rigging in the 2004 elections was discussed by, among others, a woman presumed to be President Arroyo and man presumed to be Comelec Commissioner Virgilio GarcillanoVirgilio Garcillano
Virgilio Olivar Garcillano also known as Garci, is a former official of the Philippine Commission on Elections who allegedly was involved in Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's alleged electoral fraud in the Hello Garci scandal....
.
Mega Pacific
Abalos was the Comelec chair when the election body approved a P1.3-billion contract with the Mega Pacific Consortium for the purchase of automated counting machines, which the Supreme Court in January 2004 declared as void because of "clear violation of law and jurisprudence" and "reckless disregard of [Comelec's] own bidding rules and procedure."On January 21, 2004, Pimentel filed criminal and administrative charges before the Ombudsman against Abalos and other commissioners in connection with the deal. Abalos described the charges as a "demolition job."
Pimentel accused Abalos and the other commissioners of committing an act of impropriety when they and their wives traveled to Seoul, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
to visit the plant of the maker of the counting machines a few months before the bidding for the contract started. Pimentel said he received information that the Korean company paid for the plane tickets and hotel accommodations for the trip.
However, Abalos claimed that the expenses for the trip were paid for out of the P1 million he won in a golf tournament in Wack Wack.
On September 27, 2006, the Ombudsman, in a resolution, absolved all respondents involved in the Mega Pacific controversy of all administrative and criminal liabilities "for lack of probable cause." It also reversed its June 28 resolution which contained factual findings that can be used by the House of Representatives to initiate impeachment proceedings against Comelec Commissioner Resurreccion Borra
Resurreccion Borra
Resurreccion Borra is a Filipino public servant who is a Career Executive Service Officer , a former commissioner and was the Acting Chairman of the Philippine Commission on Elections. He was the most senior Commissioner of COMELEC who has served the agency for over 44 years...
.
Trivia
- Benjamin Abalos showed much distress and confusion as he addressed the public of Jun Lozada's consumption of his daughter's hamburger. He however, pronounces it as "ham-bur-jer". He concluded that his daughter's hamburger, whose recipe supposedly came from Abalos himself, proves to be "a hamburger that conquers fear, a hamburger worth dying for."
- The former Comelec Chairman returned to private life and went back to private business as he recently opened "Ben's Burjer" owned by his daughter in Barangka, Mandaluyong CityMandaluyong CityThe City of Mandaluyong is one of the cities and municipalities that comprise Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the west by the country's capital, Manila, to the north by San Juan City, to the east by Quezon City and Pasig City, and by Makati City to the south...
. The product based from Wack Wack Golf & Country Club now made available to the public ranging from 15 to 110 pesos. He's also into prawn business. - On April 21, 2008, Mar RoxasMar RoxasManuel "Mar" Araneta Roxas II is a former Senator of the Philippines. He is the son of former Senator Gerry Roxas, and the grandson of former President Manuel Roxas and industrialist J. Amado Araneta....
's staffs distributed Abalos’ “burjer” T-shirts (from his restaurant, with the words, “Ben’s Burjer” and “burjer to die for”) to journalists covering the Senate.
External links
See also
- Commission on Elections (Philippines)Commission on Elections (Philippines)The Commission on Elections, or COMELEC, is one of the three constitutional commissions of the Philippines. Its principal role is to enforce all laws and regulations relative to the conduct of elections, initiatives, referendums, and recalls....