Juan Miguel "Migz" Fernandez Zubiri (; born April 13, 1969) is a Filipino businessman and politician serving as the
Senate President of the Philippines
The president of the Senate of the Philippines ( fil, pangulo ng Mataas na Kapulungan ng Pilipinas or ), commonly known as the Senate president, is the presiding officer and the highest-ranking official of the Senate of the Philippines, and thir ...
since July 25, 2022. Since 2016, he has been on his second stint in the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
, first serving from 2007 to 2011. He previously served as the
Senate Majority Leader from 2008 to 2010 and 2018 to 2022,
and was the
representative
Representative may refer to:
Politics
*Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people
*House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities
*Legislator, someon ...
of
Bukidnon's
3rd district from 1998 to 2007.
He is also the current chairman of the Philippine
Eskrima Kali Arnis Foundation and the vice chairman of the
Philippine Red Cross
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC; fil, Krus na Pula ng Pilipinas) is a non-profit humanitarian organization and a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
The PRC was established in 1947, with roots in the Philippine Rev ...
.
Zubiri resigned from the Senate in August 2011 following allegations of poll fraud during the
2007 elections
The following elections occurred in the year 2007.
* Electoral calendar 2007
* Elections in 2007
* 2007 United Nations Security Council election
Africa
* 52nd National Conference of the African National Congress
* 2007 Algerian legislative el ...
and
an electoral protest filed by
Koko Pimentel. He continued to deny the allegations.
[Zubiri resigns amid poll fraud scandal , Inquirer News](_blank)
Newsinfo.inquirer.net (August 3, 2011). Retrieved on August 13, 2011. His resignation marked a first in Senate history, as other senators who left the Senate did so in order to take up another post in public office.
Personal life
Zubiri was born in
Makati
Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines.
Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentration ...
, Philippines to a
Negrense
The Negrenses (; ) are the native cultural group of the Philippine provinces of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
Overview
Negrense (English: ''Negrese''; Hiligaynon and Cebuano: ''Negrosanon'' or ''Buglasnon'') identity is clos ...
father of
Spanish Basque heritage,
Jose Maria Rubin Zubiri Jr. from
Kabankalan City
Kabankalan, officially the City of Kabankalan ( hil, Dakbanwa sang Kabankalan; ceb, Dakbayan sa Kabankalan; fil, Lungsod ng Kabankalan), is a 1st class component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
and a
Bicolana mother, Maria Victoria Ocampo Fernandez of
Libon, Albay who was raised in the province of
Bukidnon in Mindanao. He speaks
Cebuano,
Tagalog, English, and his father's native
Hiligaynon. His father Jose Maria is the incumbent
Bukidnon provincial governor.
Zubiri maintains a residence in the province of Bukidnon.
On March 16, 2020, Zubiri announced that he was diagnosed with
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. As of March 27, 2020, he is one of the four highest ranking Philippine Government official to have been infected with the
SARS-CoV2 including Senator
Angara
The Angara ( Buryat and mn, Ангар, ''Angar'', "Cleft"; russian: Ангара́, ''Angará'') is a major river in Siberia, which traces a course through Russia's Irkutsk Oblast and Krasnoyarsk Krai. It drains out of Lake Baikal and is ...
, Senator
Pimentel and AFP Chief of Staff General
Santos.
Notable Positions and Affiliations
* President and Chairman, Philippine Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation
* Governor of the
Philippine Red Cross
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC; fil, Krus na Pula ng Pilipinas) is a non-profit humanitarian organization and a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
The PRC was established in 1947, with roots in the Philippine Rev ...
* Member,
Rotary Club
Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, profe ...
of Makati
* Governor, Ranchers' Club Philippines 1989– University of the Philippines Los Banos chapter
* Chairman, Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines Bukidnon Chapter
* Chairman, Paglaum Foundation
* Member,
Upsilon Phi Sigma Fraternity and Sorority
* President of the KATALA Foundation
* President of the Philippine Deer Foundation
Education and athletics
Zubiri finished elementary and high school in
Colegio San Agustin-Makati. He graduated from the
University of the Philippines Los Baños
The University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB; fil, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Los Baños), also referred to as UP Los Baños or colloquially as Elbi (), is a public research university primarily located in the towns of Los Baños and Bay ...
with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management. He also earned a Master of Environment and Natural Resources Management degree from the
University of the Philippines Open University.
Zubiri began training for
Arnis, a
martial art and the national sport of the Philippines, at the age of sixteen. He won the Arnis World Championship title in 1989, defeating Jeff Finder of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
In 2018, he was conferred with an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal Institution of Singapore, an unaccredited institution.
Political career
Congress
After serving as chief of staff of his father, Rep.
Jose Maria Zubiri, Jr.
José María Rubín Zubiri Jr. (born August 14, 1940), more commonly known simply as Jose Maria Zubiri Jr. or Jose Zubiri Jr., is a Filipino businessman and politician who is the incumbent representative of Bukidnon's 3rd congressional distri ...
, from 1995 to 1998, he ran for the seat representing the
third district of Bukidnon to be vacated by his father in the
1998 elections. Winning easily in that election, he served his first term in the
10th Congress. During his first term, he was one of the members of what the media dubbed as the "
Spice Boys", a group of neophyte and two-term congressmen who were openly critical of President
Joseph Estrada
Joseph Ejercito Estrada, (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor. He served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, the 9th vice preside ...
's administration. He was subsequently re-elected to the
Philippine House of Representatives in the
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
and
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
elections.
Senate
After serving as a
congressman
A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
for three terms, he was drafted by
Lakas CMD
Lakas means ''strength'', ''power'' in Tagalog and may refer to:
* Lakas ng Bayan (English: People's Power), a political party in the Philippines
* Lakas–CMD, a political party in the Philippines founded in 2009
* Lakas–CMD (1991), a political ...
to be one of their candidates in the pro-
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House Deputy Spe ...
administration
TEAM Unity ticket for 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
Koko Pimentel 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 strongly contested, particularly the votes from the southern Philippine province of
Maguindanao
Maguindanao (, Maguindanao language, Maguindanaon: ''Prubinsya nu Magindanaw''; Iranun language, Iranun'': Perobinsia a Magindanao''; tl, Lalawigan ng Maguindanao) was a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the ...
, where Pimentel had lost to Zubiri by a landslide.
Claiming that the votes in
Maguindanao
Maguindanao (, Maguindanao language, Maguindanaon: ''Prubinsya nu Magindanaw''; Iranun language, Iranun'': Perobinsia a Magindanao''; tl, Lalawigan ng Maguindanao) was a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the ...
were tainted, Pimentel petitioned the
Philippine Supreme Court
The Supreme Court ( fil, Kataas-taasang Hukuman; colloquially referred to as the ''Korte Suprema'' lso used in formal writing is the highest court in the Philippines. The Supreme Court was established by the Second Philippine Commission on Ju ...
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 a second time. This time, he petitioned the justices 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
Koko Pimentel petition to stop the Commission on Elections from canvassing votes from the province of
Maguindanao
Maguindanao (, Maguindanao language, Maguindanaon: ''Prubinsya nu Magindanaw''; Iranun language, Iranun'': Perobinsia a Magindanao''; tl, Lalawigan ng Maguindanao) was a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the ...
, a definite morale booster for Senator Zubiri.
While serving his stint in the Senate, Zubiri began advocating a more in-depth study of biofuels in order to prevent food shortages, all the while allowing current 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". In the 14th Congress of the Philippine Senate, he became
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Majority Leader
In U.S. politics (as well as in some other countries utilizing the presidential system), the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body. , replacing Senator
Francis Pangilinan on November 17, 2008.
During his Majority Leadership, the Senate passed a record 650 bills.
On August 3, 2011, however, during his privilege speech on the floor in the
Philippine Senate, Zubiri suddenly announced his resignation from the body.
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.
His resignation was lauded by
Malacañang and various sectors, but was also seen as a step that helped restore the Filipino's faith in national electoral protests. Senator
Francis Pangilinan, a member of the Senate Electoral Tribunal, 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.
In
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
, Zubiri ran for the Senate under the opposition
United Nationalist Alliance ticket but lost, placing 14th out of the 12 seats with 11,821,134 votes.
In
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, he ran again for the Senate as an independent candidate. Zubiri was adopted by various political parties who considered his popularity among voters of various age and social groups. With 16 million votes, he placed sixth in the polls, making him successful this time.
In the 17th Congress, he was once again elected as Senate Majority Leader on May 21, 2018, succeeding
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 ...
, who was elected Senate President.
In
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
, Zubiri successfully defended his seat. Running as an independent candidate with the support of both the
UniTeam
The UniTeam Alliance is an electoral alliance in the Philippines formed to support the candidacies of Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte in the 2022 presidential and vice-presidential elections and their allies in the 2022 Philippine general el ...
Alliance (which supported
Bongbong Marcos
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. ( , , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials PBBM or BBM, is a Filipino politician who is the 17th and current president of the Philippines. He previously served as a senat ...
in the concurrent
presidential election
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The pre ...
) and the
MP3 Coalition, which supported
Manny Pacquiao for President, he received nearly 19 million votes, finishing eighth out of twelve successful candidates.
In late May 2022, he announced his candidacy for the position of
President of the Senate
President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate. It corresponds to the speaker in some other assemblies.
The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for e ...
, to succeed
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 ...
, who is retiring. On June 1,
Cynthia Villar, who was considered his main rival, withdrew from the race and endorsed him for the ballot scheduled to be held in late July. On the same day, he was elected
President pro tempore
A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being". ...
, the second most senior position in the Senate, to fill out the remaining few weeks of the term of
Ralph Recto, who had vacated the post to take up a seat in the
House of Representatives.
On July 25, 2022, Zubiri, being the only nominee for the post, was elected as Senate President.
Laws
Among the laws Zubiri has sponsored, authored, or co-authored across his time in both houses of Congress are:
* RA 11054 –
Bangsamoro Organic Law
The Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL; fil, Batayang Batas para sa Rehiyong Awtonomo ng Bangsamoro), also known as the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), and officially designated as Republic Act No. 11054, is a Philippine law that provided for the establis ...
;
* RA 9153 – Renewable Energy Act of 2008;
* RA 9367 – Biofuels Act of 2006;
* RA 10068 – Organic Agriculture Act of 2010;
* RA 9147 – Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act;
* RA 10121 – Philippine Disaster Risk Management Act;
* RA 9165 – Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002;
* RA 9679 – the Home Development Mutual Fund Law of 2009 (Pag-IBIG Fund);
* RA 9653 – the Rent Control Act of 2009;
* RA 9997 – the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Act of 2009;
* RA 9996 – the Mindanao Development Authority Act of 2010;
* RA 9904 – the Magna Carta for Homeowners and Homeowners’ Associations;
* RA 9903 – Condonation of Penalties on Delinquent Social Security Contributions;
* RA 9507 – the Socialized and Low-Cost Housing Loan Condonation Program;
* RA 9850 – Declaring Arnis as the National Martial Art and Sport;
* RA 9500 – UP Charter Amendments;
* RA 9163 – National Service Training Program;
* RA 9166 – Armed Forces of the Philippines Rate Pay Base Increase Act;
* RA 10072 – the New Charter of the Philippine Red Cross;
* RA 9645 – Declaring July 27 of Every Year as Araw ng Iglesia Ni Cristo and as Special Working Holiday;
* RA 9849 – Declaring EidulAdha as a National Holiday;
* RA 10962 – Gift Check Act of 2017; and
* RA 11032 – Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act
Ancestry
References
External links
Juan Miguel "Migz" F. Zubiri's Official WebsiteSenator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri– Senate of the Philippines
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zubiri, Migz
Filipino Roman Catholics
1969 births
University of the Philippines Los Baños alumni
Living people
Visayan people
Bicolano politicians
Filipino people of Spanish descent
People from Bacolod
People from Bukidnon
Lakas–CMD politicians
Majority leaders of the Senate of the Philippines
Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Bukidnon
Presidents of the Senate of the Philippines
Presidents pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines
Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino politicians
Senators of the 18th Congress of the Philippines
Senators of the 17th Congress of the Philippines
Senators of the 14th Congress of the Philippines
United Nationalist Alliance politicians
University of the Philippines Open University alumni
Filipino people of Basque descent
Filipino martial artists
Senators of the 19th Congress of the Philippines