Francis Pancratius "Kiko" Nepomuceno Pangilinan (; born August 24, 1963) is a Filipino lawyer, politician, and farm owner who served as a
Senator from 2001 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2022. He was the
Senate Majority Leader
The positions of majority leader and minority leader are held by two United States senators and members of the party leadership of the United States Senate. They serve as the chief spokespersons for their respective political parties holding t ...
from 2004 to 2008.
A graduate of the
University of the Philippines College of Law
The University of the Philippines College of Law (often referred to as UP Law) is the law school of the University of the Philippines Diliman. Formally established in 1911 in UP Manila, it is the third oldest continually-operating law school ...
and
Harvard Kennedy School
The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...
, Pangilinan was first elected to the
Quezon City Council, serving from 1988 to 1992. In between his stints in the Senate, he was the
to President
Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...
from 2014 to 2015.
Pangilinan ran for
vice president of the Philippines
The vice president of the Philippines ( fil, Pangalawang Pangulo ng Pilipinas, also referred to as ''Bise Presidente ng Pilipinas'') is the second-highest official in the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the first in the p ...
in the
2022 election under the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
as the running mate of
Vice President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
Leni Robredo
Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo (; born Maria Leonor Santo Tomas Gerona; April 23, 1965) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 14th vice president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022.
She was the wife of the late Jesse ...
. However, he lost his vice-presidential bid to
Sara Duterte, running mate of eventual president
Bongbong Marcos.
Early life and education
Francis Pancratius Nepomuceno Pangilinan was born on August 24, 1963, in
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
to Donato Tongol Pangilinan, Jr., an engineer and entrepreneur from
Pampanga
Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac ...
, and Emma Monasterial Nepomuceno, a public school teacher from
Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( tgl, Lalawigan ng Nueva Ecija , also ; ilo, Probinsia ti Nueva Ecija; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Nueva Ecija; Kapampangan: ''Lalawigan/Probinsia ning Nueva Ecija''), is a landlocked province ...
and
Marinduque. He has eight siblings.
Pangilinan completed his primary and secondary education at
La Salle Green Hills
La Salle Green Hills ("LSGH") is a private Catholic School, Catholic school run by the De La Salle Brothers Philippines, Philippine District of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila ...
in 1977 and 1981, respectively. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Major in
Comparative Literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the study of literature and cultural expression across linguistic, national, geographic, and disciplinary boundaries. Comparative literature "performs a role similar to that of the study ...
degree at the
University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, and was a varsity athlete for the
UP Men's Volleyball Team.
As an undergraduate, Pangilinan was elected as chairperson of the
UP Diliman University Student Council
The University Student Council of the University of the Philippines Diliman ( Filipino: Ang Konseho ng Mag-aaral ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Diliman) is the official student representative body of the Philippines' premiere institution of higher l ...
in 1986, and served as a student regent of the UP Board of Regents in 1987. He was a member of
Upsilon Sigma Phi
The Upsilon Sigma Phi () is the oldest Greek-letter organization and fraternity in Asia. Founded in 1918, it is also the oldest student organization in continuous existence in the University of the Philippines. It has two chapters — a single ch ...
while in attendance at the university, where he would subsequently obtain his Bachelor of Laws degree from the UP College of Law.
In 1997, Pangilinan moved to
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
to pursue a
Master of Public Administration degree at
Harvard Kennedy School
The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...
, where he graduated with a general average of
A-.
Political career
Quezon City
In 1988, Pangilinan was elected as the youngest councilor of Quezon City from the 4th district.
During his stint as councilor, he became the founding president of the National Movement of Young Legislators. In 1992, he unsuccessfully ran in the congressional elections in Quezon City.
Senate
Pangilinan was elected to the senate in 2001 and was re-elected six years thereafter. In 2002, he and then-
National Youth Commission (NYC) chairman
Bam Aquino
Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aguirre Aquino IV (, born May 7, 1977) is a Filipino politician and social entrepreneur who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 2013 to 2019. He is a member of the prominent Aquino family in the Philippines.
Pre-p ...
established the
Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Awards
The Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Awards is the sole award-giving program that "recognizes and supports the outstanding contributions of youth organizations" in the Philippines. It is organized and presented annually by the Ten Accom ...
, which recognizes the contributions of youth organizations in public service and nation-building.
He was first elected as senate majority leader in 2004. On July 23, 2007,
Jinggoy Estrada
Jose Pimentel Ejercito Jr. (; born February 17, 1963), also known as Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada or simply Jinggoy Estrada, is a Filipino politician, film actor, and producer serving as a Senator since 2022, and previously from 2004 to 2016. H ...
was voted Senate president pro tempore, while Pangilinan became the majority leader following the assumption of
Manuel Villar
Manuel "Manny" Bamba Villar Jr. (; born December 13, 1949) is a Filipino billionaire businessman and former politician. He previously served as senator from 2001 to 2013 and as the President of the Senate of the Philippines from 2006 to 2008. ...
to the chamber's leadership of the 14th Congress.
In 2008, Pangilinan created the
Judicial Executive Legislative Advisory and Consultative Council, first proposed on the July 16–17, 2007
Manila Hotel
The Manila Hotel is a 550-room, historic five-star hotel located along Manila Bay in Manila, Philippines. summit on
.
He chaired the Senate Committee on Agriculture in 2010, during which he authored the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, which aimed to further promote the development of organic agricultural practices and protect indigenous organic farmers in the country.
Aquino cabinet
In May 2014, Pangilinan was appointed as the
, a
cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
-level position under the Office of the
President of the Philippines
The president of the Philippines ( fil, Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sometimes referred to as ''Presidente ng Pilipinas'') is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of t ...
, by
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...
.
As OPAFSAM head, he pushed for the creation of the coco levy trust fund for coconut farmers, in an attempt to rectify the ills created by the
Coco Levy Fund scam involving former president
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...
and
his cronies who collected taxes from farmers purportedly to develop the industry. In September 2015, Pangilinan announced his resignation from the post to
run for senator in 2016.
Return to the Senate
Pangilinan won a third term in the
2016 Philippine Senate election, placing 8th overall.
In October 2016, he was appointed interim Liberal Party president, succeeding former
Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya
Joseph Emilio "Jun" Aguinaldo Abaya (born May 28, 1966) is a Filipino politician, lawyer, and military officer. He was the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) of the Philippines under the administration of P ...
. His appointment became permanent in August 2017. In May 2019, Pangilinan announced his resignation as Liberal Party president following the failure of
Otso Diretso
Otso Diretso ( ), initially called the Oposisyon Koalisyon () was an electoral alliance formed to field candidates for the 2019 Philippine general election, in opposition to President Rodrigo Duterte. Otso Diretso fielded eight candidates (''otso' ...
, where he served as its campaign manager, to win a single seat in the
2019 senatorial election. However, his resignation was rejected by Liberal Party chairperson Leni Robredo.
Originally a part of the majority, Pangilinan became part of the minority bloc in the Senate after the 2019 election, together with Senators
Franklin Drilon,
Risa Hontiveros
Ana Theresia Navarro Hontiveros-Baraquel (; born February 24, 1966) is a Filipino politician, community leader, and journalist who has been serving as a senator of the Philippines since 2016. She previously served as a party-list representa ...
,
Leila de Lima,
Bam Aquino
Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aguirre Aquino IV (, born May 7, 1977) is a Filipino politician and social entrepreneur who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 2013 to 2019. He is a member of the prominent Aquino family in the Philippines.
Pre-p ...
and
Antonio Trillanes. He principally authored the ''Sagip Saka'' Act signed on April 17, 2019. The bill aims to boost incomes for both fisherfolk and farmers through entrepreneurship by mandating government agencies to buy produce directly from them, eliminating middlemen that raise food prices. Pangilinan was also the principal author of Republic Act 11478, which would increase the bed capacity of the Bicol Medical Center from 500 beds to 1,000 beds. This also included upgrading its service facilities and professional health care services and authorizing the increase of its medical workforce complement.
As a member of the minority, Pangilinan has been critical of the administration of President
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
, including the
War on Drugs
The war on drugs is a Globalization, global campaign, led by the United States federal government, of prohibition of drugs, drug prohibition, military aid, and military intervention, with the aim of reducing the illegal drug trade in the Unite ...
with its "iron-fist" approach.
In 2020, Pangilinan authored the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act, which seeks to create a trust fund for coconut farmers to be used for several purposes such as management, utilization, and reconstitution for the purposes of the Philippine Coconut Authority Board. He had also co-authored laws pertaining to education, such as th
GMRC and Values Education Act institutionalizing
values education
Values education is the process by which people give moral values to each other. According to Powney et al. It can be an activity that can take place in ''any'' human organisation. During which people are assisted by others, who may be older, in a ...
in the K-12 curriculum, and th
Alternative Learning System Act which institutionalizes the alternative learning system in basic education for out-of-school children.
Pangilinan co-authored th
COVID Vaccination Program Act of 2021 which aims to expedite the procurement and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across the country.
2022 vice presidential campaign
On October 8, 2021, Pangilinan filed his certificate of candidacy to run as vice president, alongside presidential candidate Leni Robredo, in the
2022 Philippine presidential election
The 2022 Philippine presidential and vice presidential elections were held on May 9, 2022, as part of the 2022 general election. This was the 17th direct presidential election and 16th vice presidential election in the Philippines since 1935, ...
. Unlike Robredo who is running as an independent candidate, Pangilinan ran as the candidate of the Liberal Party. He initially chose to seek
reelection as senator.
One of his opponents in the vice-presidential election was his uncle-by-marriage and colleague, Senate President
Tito Sotto
Vicente Castelo Sotto III (; born August 24, 1948), professionally known as Tito Sotto, is a Filipino politician, entertainer and athlete who served as Senate President from 2018 to 2022. Before that, had two stints each as Senate Majority Lea ...
(the husband of his aunt-in-law
Helen Gamboa
Helen Gamboa Sotto (born Helen Albent Gamboa; May 7, 1945) is a Filipina actress, singer, dancer and former beauty queen.
Personal life
Gamboa was born Helen Albent Gamboa at 6:35 PM on May 7, 1945 at Maternity and Children's Hospital (now ...
), who is
running alongside Senator
Panfilo Lacson
Panfilo "Ping" Morena Lacson Sr. (; born June 1, 1948) is a Filipino former politician and police general who served as a Senate of the Philippines, Senator for three terms: from 2001 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2022. He was the Chief of the Phil ...
. Pangilinan has stated that the conflictive situation was "painful" for his family.
Pangilinan's campaign slogan was "''Goodbye Gutom, Hello Pagkain''" (), as his platform focused on the agricultural sector, particularly boosting food security by providing fishermen and farmers priority attention.
Pangilinan placed second in the official tally with 9,329,207 votes, and lost to
Davao City
Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of lan ...
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
Sara Duterte by a
wide margin of over 22 million votes.
Personal life
On April 28, 1996, Pangilinan married singer, actress, and television personality
Sharon Cuneta
Sharon Gamboa Cuneta-Pangilinan ( , ; born January 6, 1966) is a Filipino actress, singer, television host, and socialite. Regarded as one of the most successful and highest-earning individuals in the Philippine entertainment industry, she has ...
. The couple has two daughters, including singer-songwriter
Kakie
Simone Francesca Emmanuelle "Frankie" Cuneta Pangilinan (; born December 16, 2000), also known by her stage name Kakie (), is a Filipina singer-songwriter.
Early life and education
Pangilinan was born to singer-actress Sharon Cuneta and Franci ...
, and an adopted son. He is also the stepfather of actress and singer
KC Concepcion
Maria Kristina Cassandra "KC" Cuneta Concepcion (; born April 7, 1985) is a Filipino actress, singer, dancer, TV host, entrepreneur, socialite and humanitarian. She has had lead roles in Philippine films '' For The First Time'' (2008) and ''Whe ...
, Cuneta's daughter from
a previous marriage, whom Pangilinan legally adopted.
Pangilinan and Cuneta own Sweet Spring Country Farm, an
all-organic farm in
Alfonso, Cavite
Alfonso, officially the Municipality of Alfonso ( tgl, Bayan ng Alfonso), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 59,306 people.
History
Alfonso was totally fores ...
.
References
External links
Senator Kiko Pangilinan– Senate of the Philippines
*
Kiko Pangilinan's Facebook Page* Verified
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, -
, -
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pangilinan, Francis
1963 births
Living people
People from Manila
Francis
Francis may refer to:
People
*Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome
*Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Francis (surname)
Places
* Rural M ...
Ateneo de Manila University faculty
Kapampangan people
Harvard Kennedy School alumni
People from Quezon City
Filipino farmers
Filipino YouTubers
Assistants to the President of the Philippines
Senators of the 18th Congress of the Philippines
Senators of the 17th Congress of the Philippines
Senators of the 15th Congress of the Philippines
Senators of the 14th Congress of the Philippines
Senators of the 13th Congress of the Philippines
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Majority leaders of the Senate of the Philippines
University of the Philippines Diliman alumni
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Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino politicians
Liberal Party (Philippines) politicians
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People from Cavite