The Honorable, Colonel
Gregorio Honasan
Official portrait, 2016
2nd Secretary of Information and Communications Technology
In office
July 1, 2019 – October 8, 2021
PresidentRodrigo Duterte
Preceded byEliseo Rio Jr. (OIC)
Succeeded byJose Arturo De Castro (OIC)
Senator of the Philippines
In office
June 30, 2007 – June 30, 2019
In office
June 30, 1995 – June 30, 2004
Chair of the Senate National Defense and Security Committee
In office
July 25, 2016 – November 20, 2018
Preceded byAntonio Trillanes
Succeeded byPanfilo Lacson
Chair of the Senate Peace, Unification and Reconciliation Committee
In office
July 25, 2016 – November 20, 2018
Preceded byTG Guingona
Succeeded byRonald dela Rosa
Chair of the Senate Agrarian Reform Committee
In office
July 26, 2010 – June 30, 2016
Preceded byFrancis Pangilinan
Succeeded byAlan Peter Cayetano
Senate Majority Leader
Acting
In office
July 22, 2013 – July 23, 2013
Preceded byTito Sotto
Succeeded byAlan Peter Cayetano
Personal details
Born
Gregorio Ballesteros Honasan II

(1948-03-14) March 14, 1948
Baguio, Mountain Province, Philippines
Political partyIndependent (1990–2012; 2021–present)
Other political
affiliations		UNA (2012–2021)
SpouseJane Umali
RelationsBarbie Almalbis (daughter-in-law)
Children5, including Kai[1][2]
ResidenceManila
Alma materPhilippine Military Academy (BS)
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionSoldier
Civilian awardsPresidential Government Medal
Military service
Allegiance Philippines
Branch/servicePhilippine Army
Years of service1970–1989
Rank Colonel
Battles/warsInsurgency in the Philippines
Military awardsDistinguished Conduct Star

Gregorio "Gringo" Ballesteros Honasan II (Tagalog pronunciation: [hoˈnasan], born March 14, 1948),[3] is a Filipino politician and a cashiered[4] Philippine Army officer who led unsuccessful coups d'état against President Corazon Aquino. He played a key role in the 1986 EDSA Revolution that toppled President Ferdinand Marcos.

After 1986, he led a series of unsuccessful but violent coup attempts against the administration of Corazon Aquino. President Fidel Ramos granted him amnesty in 1992. He entered politics and became a senator from 1995 to 2004, and again from 2007 to 2019. He ran for vice president of the Philippines, being Jejomar Binay's running-mate in 2016, but both were respectively defeated by Leni Robredo and Rodrigo Duterte.

On November 22, 2018, President Duterte appointed then-Senator Honasan as Secretary of Department of Information and Communications Technology, which took effect after the latter's senatorial term,[5] with Eliseo Rio serving as acting secretary.

Early life

Gregorio Honasan was born in Baguio to Colonel Romeo Gillego Honasan and Alicia "Alice" Masip Ballesteros, both from Sorsogon province.[6] He has six siblings.[3] Honasan spent his elementary days at San Beda College from Kindergarten to Grade 6. After which, he went to Taiwan and studied at the Dominican School, Taipei, Taiwan. He then returned to the Philippines and finished his high school at Don Bosco Technical College. He attained his Bachelor of Science degree at the Philippine Military Academy, where he received the title of "Class Baron", the academy's highest leadership award.[6]

Military career

After graduating in 1971, he joined the Philippine Army's special forces, 1st Scout Ranger Regiment and went into combat against separatist and communist insurgents in Luzon and Mindanao. He was wounded in action at battles in Lebak and Jolo.[6] Making his way up through the armed forces, he became aide-de-camp to Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile in 1974, and later became the Defense Ministry's Chief of Security.

Concurrent with his position as security chief, he was a board member of the Northern Mindanao Development Bank and president of the Beatriz Marketing Company.[7]

Political career

People Power

In 1986, Honasan and a cabal of colonels, backed by Enrile, tried to use popular unrest to overthrow the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos.[8] When the plot was uncovered, the conspirators sought refuge in the military headquarters and called on civilians, the media, and the Catholic Church for protection. Hundreds of thousands of people served as human shields to protect Honasan and his men from Marcos' forces, sparking the 1986 People Power Revolution that led to Marcos' fall from power and the installation of Corazon Aquino as president.

Coups d'état

Aquino awarded Honasan a Distinguished Conduct Star for the EDSA Revolution and the Presidential Government Medal in 1986. Under the new government, he was head of a special group in the defense ministry. Using his position, he was covertly involved in various coup attempts against Aquino.[8]

On August 28, 1987, fighting broke out in the streets and Honasan ordered his men to attack government installations, resulting in the deaths of dozens, including many civilians. The attack was put down by government forces, but Honasan was able to escape. He was later captured and imprisoned on a Navy ship in Manila Bay. He later escaped once again by convincing his guards to join his cause.[8]

Senate

Honasan in 2010

Philippine President Fidel Ramos, who was elected in 1992, granted amnesty to Honasan, who utilized his rebel infamy to enter politics in 1995, becoming the second independent candidate in Philippine history to win a seat in the Senate after Magnolia Antonino. He was re-elected in 2001, filling the vacant seat left by Senator Teofisto Guingona Jr., who was appointed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as Vice President. From April 30 to May 1, 2001, together with Juan Ponce Enrile, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Panfilo Lacson and Vicente Sotto III, he led the EDSA III protests in support of deposed President Joseph Estrada.[9][10] On May 1, 2001, the protesters stormed Malacañang Palace.[10]

He left the Senate when his term expired in 2004. In the general election held in May 2007, he was again elected to the Senate. Running as an independent candidate, he polled some 11.6 million votes, finishing 10th out of 37 candidates for 12 Senate vacancies. He took up his post on June 30. He was reelected during the 2013 elections, placing 12th with 13,211,424 votes, his fourth term.

In June 2015, Justice Undersecretary Jose Justiniano amended the complaint against Senator Honasan for his alleged part in the Pork Barrel Scam involving allegations of corrupt malversation of public funds.

During the 2016 Philippine general elections, Honasan was Jejomar Binay's running mate under the United Nationalist Alliance party. Honasan placed 6th in the vice presidential race, garnering only 788,881 or 1.92% of votes.[11]

Information and Communications Technology Secretary

On November 22, 2018, President Duterte appointed Honasan as secretary of Department of Information and Communications Technology. Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. held the position until the end of Honasan's Senate term. Honasan was sworn into the office on July 1, 2019[12] and confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on September 11, 2019.[13]

In January 2020, the Department was flagged by the Commission on Audit of the Philippines for ₱300 million worth of cash advances of confidential funds under Honasan. Undersecretary of Operations Eliseo Rio Jr. also questioned the cash advances as he resigned from his position.[14] Secretary Honasan and Undersecretary Rio later issued a joint statement to state that the confidential expenses were "lawful and legitimate" and that "Undersecretary Rio’s resignation was due to personal reasons, and not due to any rift with the Secretary, nor to any anomaly in the Confidential Expense."[15]

2022 Senate bid

Honasan speaking at a Lacson–Sotto campaign rally at Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City in 2022

On October 8, 2021, Honasan filed his certificate of candidacy to run once again for senator in 2022, effectively ending his time as Secretary of Information and Communications Technology. His candidacy was endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte, making him part of the PDP–Laban senatorial slate, although he was an independent.[16] He was also named to the senatorial slate of tickets led by presidential aspirants Panfilo Lacson and Bongbong Marcos (under UniTeam Alliance), respectively.[17][18] However, he lost his bid with 10,668,886 votes, ranking 18th out of the 12 seats up for election. He conceded from the race on May 11, 2022.[19]

  • Parodied by veteran comedian Chiquito in the 1988 comedy film Gorio Punasan, Rebel Driver, the title being a pun on his name which literally translates as “Wipe Gorio”.
  • Parodied in the 1987 movie Kumander Gringa starring Roderick Paulate.
  • Portrayed by character actor Rez Cortez in the 1988 true to life drama TV film A Dangerous Life.
  • Portrayed by action star Robin Padilla in the 1994 true to life action drama film Col. Billy Bibit, RAM.
  • Portrayed by Moises Miclat in the 2007 comedy film Ang Cute ng Ina Mo!.

References

  1. ↑ Rappler news magazine article with video accessed March 14, 2016
  2. ↑ Kai Honasan writes moving story about growing up with father Sen. Gringo Honasan Archived March 15, 2016, at the Wayback Machine news magazine article with video accessed March 14, 2016
  3. 1 2 "33. HONASAN, GRINGO". Vote Pilipinas. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  4. ↑ Drogin, Bob (March 20, 1993). "REBELLION : Forgiving the Enemy in Manila : President's efforts to neutralize Philippine rebels give him much-needed boost". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Duterte formally appoints Honasan as DICT chief". GMA News.
  6. 1 2 3 "Senators Profile - Gregorio B. Honasan II". www.senate.gov.ph.
  7. ↑ "i-site.ph - Gregorio Honasan". Archived from the original on December 24, 2005. Retrieved February 24, 2006.
  8. 1 2 3 "Honasan: Anti-Marcos poster boy turned coup leader". ABS-CBN News.
  9. ↑ "Miriam to GMA: Resign or we will storm palace". The Philippine Star. April 30, 2001. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  10. 1 2 "Remembering the Iglesia-led EDSA 3". Rappler. August 25, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  11. ↑ "#PHVote 2016 Official Election Results". Rappler.
  12. ↑ "Veteran lawmaker Honasan to lead DICT". dict.gov.ph. July 2, 2019.
  13. ↑ Reganit, Jose Cielito (September 11, 2019). "CA confirms appointment of Honasan as DICT chief". Philippine News Agency.
  14. ↑ Lopez, Melissa Luz (February 3, 2020). "Rio: ₱300-M of DICT's confidential funds released as cash advances to Honasan". CNN Philippines.
  15. ↑ "OFFICIAL JOINT STATEMENT OF SECRETARY GREGORIO B. HONASAN II AND UNDERSECRETARY ELISEO M. RIO, JR". dict.gov.ph. February 7, 2020.
  16. ↑ Patinio, Ferdinand (October 8, 2021). "PRRD attends PDP-Laban bets' COC filing". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Mix of old and new names in Lacson Senate slate of 15". Rappler. October 15, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Marcos-Duterte tandem adopts Honasan on Senate ticket". Philstar.com. February 4, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  19. ↑ Baron, Gabriela (May 11, 2022). "Honasan accepts loss, thanks supporters". PTV News. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
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