Ernesto Maceda

Ernesto "Ernie" Madarang Maceda (March 26, 1935 – June 20, 2016) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, and columnist who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 1971 to 1972 and again from 1987 to 1998. He served as Senate President from 1996 to 1998.

His Excellency Ernesto Maceda
18th President of the Senate of the Philippines
In office October 10, 1996 – January 26, 1998
President	Fidel V. Ramos
Preceded by	Neptali Gonzales
Succeeded by	Neptali Gonzales
Minority leader of the Senate of the Philippines
In office January 26, 1998 – June 30, 1998
President	Fidel V. Ramos
Preceded by	Neptali Gonzales
Succeeded by	Teofisto Guingona Jr.
14th Senate President pro tempore of the Philippines
In office January 18, 1992 – January 18, 1993
President	Corazon Aquino (1992) Fidel V. Ramos (1992–1993)
Preceded by	Sotero Laurel
Succeeded by	Teofisto Guingona Jr.
Senator of the Philippines
In office June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1998
In office December 30, 1971 – September 23, 1972
Secretary of Commerce and Industry
In office 1970–1971
President	Ferdinand Marcos
Preceded by	Leonides Sarao Virata
Succeeded by	Troadio Quiazon
Executive Secretary
In office July 26, 1969 – February 7, 1970
President	Ferdinand Marcos
Preceded by	Rafael M. Salas
Succeeded by	Alejandro Melchor, Jr.
Presidential Assistant on Community Development
In office 1966–1969
President	Ferdinand Marcos
Personal details
Born	Ernesto Madarang Maceda (1935-03-26)March 26, 1935 Pagsanjan, Laguna, Philippine Islands
Died	June 20, 2016(2016-06-20) (aged 81) St. Luke's Medical Center, Quezon City, Philippines
Resting place	Loyola Memorial Park, Marikina
Political party	Nacionalista Party (1971-1987) PDP-Laban (1987-1992) Nationalist People's Coalition (1992-2013) United Nationalist Alliance (2013-2016) Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino
Spouse(s)	Marichu Vera-Perez
Children	5 (including Manny)
Occupation	Lawyer; Politician
Profession	Lawyer

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Madarang and the surname or paternal family name is Maceda.

Early life and career

Maceda was born on March 26, 1935 in Pagsanjan, Laguna. Maceda earned his associate in Arts degree, Magna Cum Laude in 1952, and bachelor of Laws degree, Cum Laude, from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1956. He then finished Master of Laws, Taxation and International Law at Harvard Law School, Massachusetts, USA in 1957.

At the age of 23, he was hailed as the No. 1 Councilor of Manila in 1959. Because of his numerous achievements in the City Council, Councilor Maceda was named “Outstanding Councilor of Manila". In 1966, he served as the Presidential Assistant on Community Development and was the youngest Cabinet Member of the Marcos administration. In 1969, he was appointed Executive Secretary in concurrent capacity as Chairman of the Commission on Reorganization. In 1970, the Commerce and Industry portfolio was given to Maceda. In the post, he launched consumer protection programs and established trade relations with various Eastern European Social countries.

Personal life

Mr. Maceda became estranged from his wife Maria Azucena, popularly known as Marichu Vera-Perez of Sampaguita Pictures fame. His father-in-law was the great star builder and producer Dr. Jose Perez. His marriage to Ms. Vera-Perez produced five sons: Emmanuel, Ernesto Jr., Erwin, Edmond, and Edward. Edward was the councilor and is now, the representative of the 4th District of Manila,[1] while Edmond is Director of Sustainability at Enderun Colleges and a Sustainability Consultant to Megaworld Corporation. Ernesto Maceda has ten grandchildren.

Senator of the Philippines

First term (1971–72)

During the 1971 midterm elections, Maceda was only one out of three senators elected under the banner of the Nacionalista party of then-President Ferdinand Marcos. He took office on December 30, 1971. In 1972, Maceda’s bill granting protection to real estate buyers on installment basis[2] was the only bill signed into law before Martial Law was proclaimed. The bill is known as the Maceda Law. His term was supposed to have ended on December 30, 1977. He then went into exile in the United States after breaking with President Marcos over the Martial Law declaration and eventually became the adviser of the late senator Benigno S. Aquino. Following Aquino's assassination, he became one of the leaders of the opposition during the 1984 Batasan Pambansa Campaign and the 1986 snap presidential election.

Second term (1987–92)

When Corazon Aquino was installed as President of the Philippines, he was appointed to head the Ministry of Natural Resources. The following year he ran for the Senate on the Corazon Aquino's ticket and won. He served his second term as Senator from June 30, 1987 to June 30, 1992.

On September 16, 1991, Maceda was among the "Magnificent 12" senators who voted against the extension of the PH-US Bases Treaty.

Third term (1992–98)

During the 1992 general elections, Senator Maceda was re-elected under the Nationalist People's Coalition, which was a faction that bolted from the Nacionalista Party, headed by former Tarlac Governor Danding Cojuangco. Placed sixth in the senatorial race, he took office for a third time and served from June 30, 1992 to June 30, 1998. In his third term, he served as Senate President from 1996–1998.

Senate Presidency

On October 10, 1996, the Senate was re-organized and Maceda was installed as Senate President succeeding Neptali A. Gonzales, Sr. In November of that year, Senate President Maceda delivered a speech denouncing the PEA-Amari Scandal – calling the same as the "grandmother of all scams".[3] The PEA-Amari Scandal was a controversial deal involved the acquisition of 158 hectares of reclaimed land on Manila Bay that was to be converted into so-called Freedom Islands. The deal was forged as part of the Ramos administration's Manila Bay Master Development Plan (MBMDP).[3] During this time, he was also nicknamed "Mr. Expose" by the Philippine Free Press.

Post-Senate Presidency and Senate term

On January 26, 1998, he resigned as Senate President, citing loss of support by the majority of his fellow Senators. Then Senator Neptali Gonzales, whom Maceda helped, was installed as Senate President from 1992-1993 and 1995-1996 succeeded him. Maceda became the new Minority Leader of the Senate. In February 1998, months before his second and last term as Senator ended, Maceda ran for mayor of Manila in the 1998 presidential elections, but lost to Lito Atienza. Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, then the Assistant Minority Leader of the Senate became the Acting Minority Leader even though he was also running for the presidency of the Philippines.

After his term in the Senate ended, Maceda was appointed Philippine Ambassador to the United States (1998–2001) by President Joseph Estrada. In the 2004 elections, Maceda ran for Senator under the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino of presidential candidate Fernando Poe, Jr. but lost. He ran again in the 2013 elections, but lost his bid to return to the Senate. Maceda holds the distinction of being the only Filipino to have held 5 Cabinet positions in his lifetime.

In 2007, he joined the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and became one of the professors of the PLM College of Law. He wrote a thrice-weekly column for the Philippine Star, entitled "Search For Truth", and hosted his own talkshow "Mr. Expose" on the radio station DZRJ-AM.

Death

Maceda died of multiple organ failure at St. Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City, Philippines on the night of June 20, 2016. He was aged 81. He was interred at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina on June 25, 2016.[4]

References

1. Lo, Ricky (May 5, 2016). "Senior moments with Coun. Edward Maceda". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
2. Joanne Almaden. "Defaulting Payments- Know Your Rights under Republic Act 6552 (Maceda Law)". PhilPropertyExpert.com. PhilPropertyExpert.com. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
3. PEA scandal
4. "Former senator Ernesto Maceda laid to rest". ABS-CBN News. 25 June 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2016.

External links and sources

• Official Website of the Philippine Senate – Sen. Ernesto Maceda, PhD