Juan Miguel Zubiri
Encyclopedia
Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri (born April 13, 1968) is a Filipino
politician who served as a Congressman representing the third district of Bukidnon for three consecutive terms, and was the Senate of the Philippines
Majority Leader
, replacing Senator Francis Pangilinan on November 17, 2008. He is on indefinite leave as a member of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD
political party.
Zubiri announced his resignation on August 3, 2011 following allegations of poll fraud during the 2007 senatorial elections
. He is the first senator to do so, since all historical resignations from the senate prior to his resignation involved senators leaving to assume other positions in government.
, Philippines to a Spanish-Ilonggo father hailing from Bacolod City
and a Bicolana mother, and was raised in the province of Bukidnon
. He speaks Cebuano
, Tagalog
, English, and his native Ilonggo
. His father is the incumbent Bukidnon
Provincial Vice-Governor Jose Ma. R. Zubiri, Jr.
. He was subsequently re-elected to the Philippine House of Representatives
in the 2001 and 2004 elections.
ticket in the 2007 mid-term elections.
In the final tally for the 2007 senatorial race by the Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec)
, Rep. Zubiri narrowly defeated opposition candidate Aquilino Pimentel III
for the 12th and last slot in the Senate. Zubiri had a total of 11,001,730 votes against Pimentel's 10,983,358 votes. The margin of some 18,372 votes was hotly contested, particularly the votes from the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao
, where Pimentel had lost heavily to Zubiri.
Claiming the votes in Maguindanao
were tainted, Pimentel petitioned the Philippine Supreme Court
to invalidate the votes from Maguindanao, effectively disenfranchising a whole province. The Supreme Court voted unanimously 14 -0 against Pimentel and allowed the COMELEC (Commission on Elections) to count the votes in Zubiri's favor. Pimentel then returned to the Supreme Court for the second time. This time, he petitioned them to issue a restraining order against the proclamation of Zubiri. After oral arguments however the High Tribunal again voted to uphold the COMELEC's decision to proclaim Zubiri, consequently failing to grant Pimentel's petition. The next day, July 14, 2007, Zubiri was duly proclaimed elected to the Philippine Senate
. However, the Court's judgment did not prevent Pimentel from bringing his poll protests to the Senate Electoral Tribunal.
On March 14, 2008, the Supreme Court in a 40-page decision penned by Associate Justice Minita Chico-Nazario
, dismissed Aquilino Pimentel III
's petition to stop the Commission on Elections from canvassing votes from the province of Maguindanao
, a definite morale booster for Senator Zubiri.
More recently, he has been advocating a more in depth study of biofuels in order to prevent food shortages all the while allowing the production of alternative clean energy and biofuels so as to lessen dependence on imported oil and allow the Philippine economy a new avenue of economic success, especially in this day and age of constant rising oil prices.
on August 3, 2011, Zubiri announced his resignation from the Senate. In his speech, he said that his family was hurt by the "unfounded" accusations against him. "Without admitting any fault and with my vehement denial of the alleged electoral fraud hurled against me, I am submitting my resignation as a duly elected Senator of the Republic of the Philippines in the election for which I am falsely accused without mercy and compassion," Zubiri said in his speech. "My political detractors began calling me ugly names and dragging the name of my family in entirety. In other words, Mr. President, the trial by publicity has begun," he continued.
Recently, Zaldy Ampatuan
, a suspect in the Maguindanao massacre case and suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor, claimed that during the 2007 polls, the camp of then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
ordered that votes from three senatorial candidates from the opposition in Maguindanao be transferred to Zubiri.
Senator Francis Pangilinan, a member of the SET likewise refused to comment on what the next procedure is for the vacancy left by Zubiri. "Let's just wait for developments if any," he said.
On August 11, Aquilino Pimentel III
was proclaimed Senator of the Philippines
.
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
politician who served as a Congressman representing the third district of Bukidnon for three consecutive terms, and was the Senate of the Philippines
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...
Majority Leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
, replacing Senator Francis Pangilinan on November 17, 2008. He is on indefinite leave as a member of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD
Lakas-Kampi-CMD
Lakas Kampi CMD is a center-right political party in the Philippines and the current minority party in the country. Its ideology is heavily influenced by Christian and Islamic democracy...
political party.
Zubiri announced his resignation on August 3, 2011 following allegations of poll fraud during the 2007 senatorial 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...
. He is the first senator to do so, since all historical resignations from the senate prior to his resignation involved senators leaving to assume other positions in government.
Early life
Zubiri was born in Makati CityMakati City
The City of Makati is one of the 17 cities that make up Metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines and one of the major financial, commercial and economic hubs in Asia...
, Philippines to a Spanish-Ilonggo father hailing from Bacolod City
Bacolod City
The City of Bacolod , is a highly urbanized midsize Philippine city. It is the capital of the Negros Occidental province. Having a total of 499,497 inhabitants as of August 1, 2007, it is the most populous city in the Western Visayas Region. It is currently ranked as the 17th most populous city in...
and a Bicolana mother, and was raised in the province 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...
. He speaks Cebuano
Cebuano language
Cebuano, referred to by most of its speakers as Bisaya , is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 20 million people mostly in the Central Visayas. It is the most widely spoken of the languages within the so-named Bisayan subgroup and is closely related to other Filipino...
, Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
, English, and his native Ilonggo
Hiligaynon language
Hiligaynon, often referred to as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian language spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.Hiligaynon is concentrated in the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Capiz but is also spoken in the other provinces of the Panay Island group, including Antique,...
. His father is the incumbent 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...
Provincial Vice-Governor Jose Ma. R. Zubiri, Jr.
Education
Zubiri finished elementary and high school in Colegio San Agustin-Makati. He graduated from University of the Philippines Los Baños with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness. He also earned a Master of Environment and Natural Resources Management degree from the University of the Philippines Open University.House of Representatives
After serving as chief of staff of his father, Rep. (now Bukidnon Governor) Jose Ma. R. Zubiri, Jr. from 1995–1998, he ran for the seat to be vacated by his father in the 1998 general elections representing the third district of Bukidnon. Winning easily in that election, he served his first term in the 10th Congress10th Congress of the Philippines
The Tenth Congress of the Philippines is the current meeting of the national legislature of the Republic of the Philippines, composed of the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives.-Sessions:...
. He was subsequently re-elected to the Philippine House of Representatives
House of Representatives of the Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...
in the 2001 and 2004 elections.
Senate
After serving as a Congressman for three-terms, he was drafted by Lakas CMD to be one of their candidates in the pro-administration Team UnityTEAM Unity
Together Everybody Achieves More Unity was the umbrella coalition of the administration-backed senatorial line-up for the 2007 Philippine Midterm Elections. TEAM Unity is composed mostly of supporters and erstwhile critics of current Philippine president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo...
ticket in the 2007 mid-term elections.
In the final tally for the 2007 senatorial race by the Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec)
COMELEC
COMELEC may refer to:* Commission on Elections * Comité Maghrébin de l’Electricité...
, Rep. Zubiri narrowly defeated opposition candidate Aquilino Pimentel III
Aquilino Pimentel III
Aquilino Martin de la Llana Pimentel III commonly known as Koko Pimentel, is the son of the former senator Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. and Lourdes dela Llana-Pimentel. He was proclaimed on August 11, 2011 as the 12th winning senator in the 2007 election...
for the 12th and last slot in the Senate. Zubiri had a total of 11,001,730 votes against Pimentel's 10,983,358 votes. The margin of some 18,372 votes was hotly contested, particularly the votes from the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao
Maguindanao
Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
, where Pimentel had lost heavily to Zubiri.
Claiming the votes in Maguindanao
Maguindanao
Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
were tainted, Pimentel petitioned the Philippine Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the Philippines
The Supreme Court of the Philippines is the Philippines' highest judicial court, as well as the court of last resort. The court consists of 14 Associate Justices and 1 Chief Justice...
to invalidate the votes from Maguindanao, effectively disenfranchising a whole province. The Supreme Court voted unanimously 14 -0 against Pimentel and allowed the COMELEC (Commission on Elections) to count the votes in Zubiri's favor. Pimentel then returned to the Supreme Court for the second time. This time, he petitioned them to issue a restraining order against the proclamation of Zubiri. After oral arguments however the High Tribunal again voted to uphold the COMELEC's decision to proclaim Zubiri, consequently failing to grant Pimentel's petition. The next day, July 14, 2007, Zubiri was duly proclaimed elected to the Philippine Senate
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...
. However, the Court's judgment did not prevent Pimentel from bringing his poll protests to the Senate Electoral Tribunal.
On March 14, 2008, the Supreme Court in a 40-page decision penned by Associate Justice Minita Chico-Nazario
Minita Chico-Nazario
Minita Chico-Nazario is an incumbent Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. She was appointed to the court by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on February 10, 2004.-Profile:...
, dismissed Aquilino Pimentel III
Aquilino Pimentel III
Aquilino Martin de la Llana Pimentel III commonly known as Koko Pimentel, is the son of the former senator Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. and Lourdes dela Llana-Pimentel. He was proclaimed on August 11, 2011 as the 12th winning senator in the 2007 election...
's petition to stop the Commission on Elections from canvassing votes from the province of Maguindanao
Maguindanao
Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
, a definite morale booster for Senator Zubiri.
More recently, he has been advocating a more in depth study of biofuels in order to prevent food shortages all the while allowing the production of alternative clean energy and biofuels so as to lessen dependence on imported oil and allow the Philippine economy a new avenue of economic success, especially in this day and age of constant rising oil prices.
Electoral protest
The Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) on June 19, 2008 resolved to proceed with the election protest of Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III: "Indeed, there is reasonable ground to believe that the final outcome of the case could affect the officially proclaimed results of the 12th senatorial position in the May 14, 2007 national elections, hence, the election protest case deserves further proceedings by the tribunal."Resignation
On his privilege speech in the Philippine SenateSenate of the Philippines
The Senate of the Philippines is the upper chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, the Congress of the Philippines...
on August 3, 2011, Zubiri announced his resignation from the Senate. In his speech, he said that his family was hurt by the "unfounded" accusations against him. "Without admitting any fault and with my vehement denial of the alleged electoral fraud hurled against me, I am submitting my resignation as a duly elected Senator of the Republic of the Philippines in the election for which I am falsely accused without mercy and compassion," Zubiri said in his speech. "My political detractors began calling me ugly names and dragging the name of my family in entirety. In other words, Mr. President, the trial by publicity has begun," he continued.
Recently, Zaldy Ampatuan
Zaldy Ampatuan
Zaldy Uy Ampatuan , is a Filipino politician and was governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao from August 8, 2005 until his expulsion on November 25, 2009. He is former chairman of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats for ARMM...
, a suspect in the Maguindanao massacre case and suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor, claimed that during the 2007 polls, the camp of then-President 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...
ordered that votes from three senatorial candidates from the opposition in Maguindanao be transferred to Zubiri.
Senator Francis Pangilinan, a member of the SET likewise refused to comment on what the next procedure is for the vacancy left by Zubiri. "Let's just wait for developments if any," he said.
On August 11, Aquilino Pimentel III
Aquilino Pimentel III
Aquilino Martin de la Llana Pimentel III commonly known as Koko Pimentel, is the son of the former senator Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. and Lourdes dela Llana-Pimentel. He was proclaimed on August 11, 2011 as the 12th winning senator in the 2007 election...
was proclaimed Senator of the Philippines
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...
.
Other Positions Held
- Governor of the Philippine National Red CrossPhilippine National Red CrossBorn officially in 1947, Philippine Red Cross , a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, has roots that trace back to the revolutionary days...
- Member, Rotary Club of Makati
- Governor, Ranchers' Club Philippines 1989– University of the Philippines Los Banos chapter
- Chairman, Amateur Boxing Association of the PhilippinesAmateur Boxing Association of the PhilippinesThe Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines is the governing body of amateur boxing in the Philippines.-Objectives:The ABAP's current goal is for the country to win its first ever Olympic gold medal in boxing, to be recognized as one of the world's boxing powers as well as to improve the...
Bukidnon Chapter - Chairman, Paglaum Foundation
- Member, Upsilon Phi SigmaUpsilon Phi SigmaUpsilon Phi Sigma is a National Inter-University and Collegiate Fraternity and Sorority with 164 active chapters. Founded at the University of the Philippines Los Baños on February 14, 1935, it is one of the oldest fraternities and sororities in the Philippines.The organization practices many...
Fraternity and Sorority (founded 1935) - President of the KATALA Foundation
- President of the Philippine Deer Foundation
Laws
- Biofuels Act
- The Magna Carta for Private School Teachers
- Act Providing for a Magna Carta of Students
- Act Instituting the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, Repealing Republic Act No. 6425, as Amended
- Rent Control Law
- AFP Rate Base Pay Increase
- Wildlife Conservation Act
- Renewable Energy Act
- Cooperative Code of the Philippines