Sergio Apostol
Encyclopedia
Sergio Antonio Figueroa Apostol was born on January 17, 1935 in Catbalogan City, Samar.
Apostol, a Roman Catholic, graduated from the Ateneo Law School
and was a member of the Ateneo Law Journal. He passed the Philippine Bar exams in 1958, finishing 7th. He was the City Fiscal for Quezon City, Regional Trial Court Judge, Philippine Congressman for the 2nd District of Leyte, Chairman and CEO of PNOC and Cabinet Secretary.
In 2008, Sergio Apostol was Chief Presidential Legal Counsel for Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
. On October 8, 2008, Eduardo Ermita
confirmed Apostol's resignation, effective October 30, to prepare for his candidacy, for Leyte
congressional seat, in the Philippine general election, 2010
. Apostol is a member of the board of Union Bank
and the legal consultant of the SSS’ Social Security Commission (SSC). After winning his district's seat as a Lakas-CMD party candidate of Arroyo, Apostol switched allegiance to the Liberal party of Benigno Aquino, the winner of the 2010 Presidential election.
Apostol defended the Arroyo family in the ZTE scandal, where First Gentleman Mike Arroyo was alleged to have taken kickbacks from a multibillion peso contract. Arroyo subsequently canceled the contract, and Apostol said this cancellation was sufficient for not making any more information public “Since [the contract was] canceled, there was nothing to be made public…. “the Philippine Senate was “wasting the people's money by proceeding with its investigations.”
In February 2008 Apostol threatened to expel ZTE whistleblower Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada from the country. "He is a crying witness like a crying lady. Di ba sabi niya ‘probinsyanong Iintsik?’ Intsik pala siya eh. Kung ako ipapa-deport ko na ‘yan. Magulo ka dito,” said chief presidential legal adviser Sergio Apostol. (He is a crying witness like a crying lady. Did he not say he is a Chinese from the provinces? So he’s a Chinese. If it were for me I’ll have him deported. He’s unruly here.)" The Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Activist Teresita Ang-See, Senator Mar Roxas, and many others called for Apostol to apologize for his racial slurs against the Chinese and Filipino-Chinese. Apostol subsequently issued an apology, saying "This refers to my statement uttered in an emotional outburst in reaction to Mr. Jun Lozada's implication of the First Gentleman to an alleged crime based on what is, at best, hearsay evidence. Be that as it may, I sincerely apologize to our hardworking and law- abiding Filipino Chinese who may have been offended by my unintended slur."
Apostol, a Roman Catholic, graduated from the Ateneo Law School
Ateneo Law School
The Ateneo de Manila Law School is the law school of the Ateneo de Manila University, a private Jesuit university in the Philippines. It was founded in 1936, in the Padre Faura, Manila campus of the Ateneo, where it remained even after the college, graduate school, and basic education units moved...
and was a member of the Ateneo Law Journal. He passed the Philippine Bar exams in 1958, finishing 7th. He was the City Fiscal for Quezon City, Regional Trial Court Judge, Philippine Congressman for the 2nd District of Leyte, Chairman and CEO of PNOC and Cabinet Secretary.
In 2008, Sergio Apostol was Chief Presidential Legal Counsel for Philippine 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...
. On October 8, 2008, Eduardo Ermita
Eduardo Ermita
Eduardo R. Ermita, was the Executive Secretary of the Philippines, and spokesperson for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was born on July 13, 1935 in Balayan, Batangas. Ermita took his Defense Resource Management Course at Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, California, U.S.A...
confirmed Apostol's resignation, effective October 30, to prepare for his candidacy, for Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
congressional seat, in the Philippine general election, 2010
Philippine general election, 2010
Elections for all positions in the Philippines above the barangay were held on Monday, May 10, 2010. The elected president will become the 15th President of the Philippines, succeeding President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who is barred from seeking re-election due to term restrictions...
. Apostol is a member of the board of Union Bank
Union Bank
Union Bank was established in 1991 and had its headquarters in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Prior to the merger with Standard Chartered Bank , it was Pakistan's eighth largest bank and had 65 branches in some 22 cities, about US$2 billion in assets, and about 400,000 customers.In 2006, Standard...
and the legal consultant of the SSS’ Social Security Commission (SSC). After winning his district's seat as a Lakas-CMD party candidate of Arroyo, Apostol switched allegiance to the Liberal party of Benigno Aquino, the winner of the 2010 Presidential election.
Controversy
As Arroyo's Presidential Legal Counsel, Apostol engineered the pardon of Joseph "Erap" Estrada. The Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo government thought of an amnesty for Estrada in hope of "reconciling with the opposition" and "unifying the country."Apostol defended the Arroyo family in the ZTE scandal, where First Gentleman Mike Arroyo was alleged to have taken kickbacks from a multibillion peso contract. Arroyo subsequently canceled the contract, and Apostol said this cancellation was sufficient for not making any more information public “Since [the contract was] canceled, there was nothing to be made public…. “the Philippine Senate was “wasting the people's money by proceeding with its investigations.”
In February 2008 Apostol threatened to expel ZTE whistleblower Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada from the country. "He is a crying witness like a crying lady. Di ba sabi niya ‘probinsyanong Iintsik?’ Intsik pala siya eh. Kung ako ipapa-deport ko na ‘yan. Magulo ka dito,” said chief presidential legal adviser Sergio Apostol. (He is a crying witness like a crying lady. Did he not say he is a Chinese from the provinces? So he’s a Chinese. If it were for me I’ll have him deported. He’s unruly here.)" The Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Activist Teresita Ang-See, Senator Mar Roxas, and many others called for Apostol to apologize for his racial slurs against the Chinese and Filipino-Chinese. Apostol subsequently issued an apology, saying "This refers to my statement uttered in an emotional outburst in reaction to Mr. Jun Lozada's implication of the First Gentleman to an alleged crime based on what is, at best, hearsay evidence. Be that as it may, I sincerely apologize to our hardworking and law- abiding Filipino Chinese who may have been offended by my unintended slur."