Rodolfo Gaspar Biazon (, born April 14, 1935) is a Filipino politician and former

Philippine Marine Corps The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) ( fil, Hukbong Kawal Pandagat ng Pilipinas) is the marine corps of the Philippines, a naval infantry force under the command of the Philippine Navy. The PMC conducts amphibious, expeditionary, and special op ...

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

. He was the

Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CSAFP) is the highest-ranking military officer (except for the President of the Philippines, who holds the position of Commander-in-Chief equivalent to a five-star general) and the head ...

(AFP) in early 1991 and then served as a Senator from 1992 to 1995 and from 1998 to 2010. During his time in the military, he served as superintendent of the

Philippine Military Academy The Philippine Military Academy ( fil, Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas / es, Academia Militar de Filipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of ...

(PMA), commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps, Vice Chief of Staff, and finally Chief of Staff of the AFP. After his stints in the senate, he served as 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, som ...

Muntinlupa Muntinlupa, officially the City of Muntinlupa ( fil, Lungsod ng Muntinlupa), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the ...

from 2010 to 2016.

Early life and career

Biazon was born on April 14, 1935, in

Batac Batac, officially the City of Batac ( ilo, Siudad ti Batac; fil, Lungsod ng Batac), is a 5th class component city in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 55,484 people. Etymology The ...

Ilocos Norte Ilocos Norte, officially the Province of Ilocos Norte ( ilo, Probinsia ti Ilocos Norte; tl, Lalawigan ng Ilocos Norte), is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. Its capital is Laoag City, located in the northwest corner ...

. His father Rufino Biazon, was a doughmaker then, while his mother Juliana Gaspar, was a clotheswasher. His father died and left him along with his mother and three younger sisters when he was seven years old. At a young age of eight, he and his sisters had already experienced hardship, especially during the Japanese regime. Living in a makeshift shanty in

Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...

, they had to peddle food, collected bottles and newspapers, which were later sold in order to earn a living for the family. In spite of their condition, it did not stop him from obtaining his education. He enrolled as a Grade One student at the age of eleven, in 1946. In order to support his education, and at the same time look for ways to earn money, so he went to school in the morning and worked in the afternoon. He would collect seashells in

Manila Bay Manila Bay ( fil, Look ng Maynila) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Phi ...

which were in turn sold at the market. He studied in Jose Rizal Elementary School,

Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasay; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 440,656 people. Due to its location j ...

, for his primary education where he graduated

salutatorian Salutatorian is an academic title given in the United States, Armenia, and the Philippines to the second-highest-ranked graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is tradi ...

. He continued working, washing clothes for other people in order to sustain his high school education at the Jose Abad Santos High School located at the

Arellano University Arellano University (AU) is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian university located in Manila, the Philippines. It was founded in 1938 as a law school by Florentino Cayco Sr., the first Filipino Undersecretary of Public Instruction. The univ ...

in 1955. He also graduated from this school with honors. He stopped doing laundry and instead worked as a laborer in the then Highway 54 (now

EDSA Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA, is a limited-access circumferential highway around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or citie ...

), this time to sustain his college education in FEATI where he took

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, an ...

. He also attended other trainings or schooling which include the TOP Management Program at the

Asian Institute of Management The Asian Institute of Management (AIM) is an international management school and research institution. It is one of the few business schools in Asia to be internationally accredited with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Busines ...

; Command and General Staff Course in Quantico,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

U.S. 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 territori ...

; Crisis Program in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

; Allied Combat Intelligence Course in

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

, Japan; Senior Officer Maintenance Course in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

; Amphibious Warfare Course in Quantico,

and, Military Instructors in

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

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Military career

He entered the

in 1957, although he applied and passed for the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. He was the class goat of PMA Class 1961 yet this did not prevent him from achieving his goal. As a Philippine Marine, he attained the following posts: Superintendent of PMA in 1986–87,

Commandant Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...

of the

Philippine Marines The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) ( fil, Hukbong Kawal Pandagat ng Pilipinas) is the marine corps of the Philippines, a naval infantry force under the command of the Philippine Navy. The PMC conducts amphibious, expeditionary, and special oper ...

(PMC) in 1987–1989,

Commanding General The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitud ...

of the NCR Defense Command in 1988–1990,

Armed Forces of the Philippines The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The ...

(AFP) Vice Chief of Staff in 1990-91 and

Chief of Staff in 1991. He was assigned in Davao in 1983 during the Marcos administration. It was the time when the trust and confidence of the civilians in the military were returned as he took the initiative to do so. During his tenure both as the Commanding General of the AFP NCR Defense Command and Commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps, he quelled an attempted coup by the

Reform the Armed Forces Movement The Reform the Armed Forces Movement, also referred to by the acronym RAM, was a cabal of officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) known for several attempts to seize power in the Philippines during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1986, som ...

(RAM), led by Col.

Gringo Honasan Gregorio "Gringo" Ballesteros Honasan II (, born March 14, 1948), is a Filipino politician and a cashiered Philippine Army The Philippine Army (PA) (Tagalog: ''Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas''; in literal English: ''Army of the Ground of th ...

. He led the Marines and the officers and men of the AFP NCR Defense Command in foiling the coup attempt. In early 1990,

Viva Films Viva Films is a Philippine film production company established under Viva Communications. It was founded on November 11, 1981, by Vic del Rosario Jr. History Veering away from the Sharon Cuneta- Gabby Concepcion tandem, Viva became home to q ...

began to plan a film based on Gen. Biazon's life, with

Eddie Garcia Eduardo Verchez Garcia (; May 2, 1929 – June 20, 2019), known colloquially as Manoy, was a Filipino actor, television personality, film director and producer. With almost 600 film and television roles and a career spanning seven decades, he ...

cast as Biazon and Manuel "Fyke" Cinco to direct, though it did not come to fruition. Gen. Biazon was chosen to be the third Armed Forces Chief of Staff of the 5th Republic, after

Fidel V. Ramos Fidel Valdez Ramos (, ; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military ...

and

Renato de Villa Renato "Rene" Salud de Villa (born July 20, 1935) is a Filipino former police and military officer and government official. He served as Chief of Philippine Constabulary, Director-General of the Integrated National Police, and Chief of Staff of ...

, and the first one to come from the ranks of the PMC on 1991. Prior to that, he served then also as the Vice Chief of Staff of the AFP under De Villa. He is the first and only AFP Chief of Staff from the

Awards during his military service

Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation The Philippine Presidential Unit citation BadgeThe AFP Adjutant General, ''Awards and Decorations Handbook'', 1997, OTAG, p. 65. is a unit decoration of the Republic of the Philippines. It has been awarded to certain units of the United States mil ...

Martial Law Unit Citation * PHL Distinguished Service Star BAR

Distinguished Service Star The Distinguished Service Star is the third highest military award of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is awarded for eminently meritorious and valuable service rendered while holding a position of great responsibility. Description of the ...

Gold Cross Medal * PHL Outstanding Achievement Medal

Outstanding Achievement Medal The Outstanding Achievement MedalThe AFP Adjutant General, ''AFP Awards and Decorations Handbook'', 1997, OTAG, p. 23. is a single grade decoration of the Philippines awarded by the Secretary of National Defense. Criteria The medal is awarded by ...

Bronze Cross Medal The Bronze Cross MedalThe AFP Adjutant General, ''AFP Awards and Decorations Handbook'', 1997, OTAG, p. 29. is a single grade military decoration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines which is awarded for "heroism involving risk of life" under co ...

Military Merit Medals with one spearhead device and four bronze anahaws * PHL Military Commendation

Military Commendation Medal The Military Commendation Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is presented for exemplary execution of military duty. Description The medal is a three-pointed star, made of bronze color ...

s *

Long Service Medal *

Anti-dissidence Campaign Medal * Luzon Anti-dissidence Campaign Medal

Luzon Anti Dissidence Campaign Medal * PHL Visayas Anti-Dissidence Campaign Medal ribbon

Visayas Anti-Dissidence Campaign Medal *

Mindanao Anti-dissidence Campaign Medal * Jolo Campaign Medal

Jolo and Sulu Campaign Medal * Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Operations Ribbon

Disaster Relief & Rehabilitation Operation Ribbon * Combat Commander's (Kagitingan) Badge

Combat Commander's Badge *

AFP Parachutist Badge

Congressional career

Senate

He became Senator in the Ninth Congress from 1992 up to 1995. Paul Aquino, the brother of the late Senator

Benigno Aquino Jr. Benigno "Ninoy" Simeon Aquino Jr., (; November 27, 1932 – August 21, 1983) was a Filipino politician who served as a senator of the Philippines (1967–1972) and governor of the province of Tarlac. Aquino was the husband of Corazon Aqui ...

, was the one who convinced him to run for office. He was again elected as Senator in 1998 and continues to serve his term up to 2010. He was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on

National Defense National security, or national defence, is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military attac ...

and

Security" \n\n\nsecurity.txt is a proposed standard for websites' security information that is meant to allow security researchers to easily report security vulnerabilities. The standard prescribes a text file called \"security.txt\" in the well known locat ...

and Committee on

Urban Planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...

Housing Housing, or more generally, living spaces, refers to the construction and assigned usage of houses or buildings individually or collectively, for the purpose of shelter. Housing ensures that members of society have a place to live, whether i ...

and Resettlement. Aside from this, he holds the following positions in the Senate: Vice-Chair of the Committees on

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

and Food and

Foreign Relations A state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterally or through m ...

, and a Member of 15 other Senate Committees. He is also the President of the Asian Regional Council Global Parliamentarians on Habitat, the Vice-President for Asia Global Parliamentarians on Habitat, the Co-chairperson of the Philippine Legislators' Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. ( PLCPD) and a member of the

Commission on Appointments The Commission on Appointments ( fil, Komisyon sa Paghirang, abbreviated as CA) is a constitutional body which confirms or rejects certain political appointments made by the President of the Philippines. The current commission was created by th ...

. Biazon run for re-election and won in 2004 narrowly beating Senator Robert Barbers by margin of 10,685. Barbers filed an electoral protest but died within the year. Biazon continued filling numerous bills and resolution many of them were passed into law, some of them: * Republic Act No. 9208, Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, * Republic Act No. 9161, reforming the renting industry * Republic Act No. 7835, Comprehensive and Integrated Shelter Finance Act, * Republic Act No. 7898, An Act providing for the Modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, * Republic Act No. 7742, changing the mandatory membership to the Pag-Ibig Fund * Republic Act No. 7901, creation of the region of

Caraga Caraga, officially the Caraga Administrative Region (or simply known as Caraga Region) and designated as Region XIII, is an Regions of the Philippines, administrative region in the Philippines occupying the northeastern section of Mindanao. Th ...

(Region XIII) * Republic Act No. 7889, establishing the

University of the Philippines Mindanao The University of the Philippines Mindanao (also referred to as UPMin or UP Mindanao) is a public research university, serving as the sixth constituent unit of the University of the Philippines System. UP Mindanao is the only constituent unive ...

* Republic Act No. 7863, the Home Guaranty Corporation Law * Republic Act No. 7691, Expanding the Jurisdiction of MTC's, MCTC and METC, * Joint Resolution No. 7, increasing the subsistence allowance of soldiers and policemen, * Republic Act No. 8763, amending the Home Guarantee Corporation Act * Republic Act No. 9040, tax exemption of allowances and benefits for members of the

* Republic Act No. 9049, granting monthly gratuity and privileges to awarded of the

Medal of Valor This list of medals for bravery is an index to articles about notable medals awarded for bravery or valor. These medals, usually associated with military forces, police forces, or other public safety entities, are given to personnel who have serv ...

He was also one of the main proponent of the

Reproductive Health Bill The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, also known as the Reproductive Health Law or RH Law, and officially designated as Republic Act No. 10354, is a Philippine law that provided universal access to methods on contracept ...

House of Representatives

Biazon ran for the open seat of his son, Ruffy in the lone district in 2010 as he was term-limited. Ruffy, also term-limited ran, instead for the Senate but lost at fourteenth place. He faced former broadcaster

Dong Puno Ricardo Villanueva Puno Jr. (January 20, 1946 – February 15, 2022) was a Filipino television public affairs host, media executive, newspaper columnist, and lawyer. Early life and education Puno was born in Manila on January 20, 1946, a son of ...

. He was elected with 46% of the vote. His term started on June 30, 2010. He was then reelected in 2013. He decided not to seek reelection 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 of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

Personal life

He met Monserrat Narag Bunoan as a classmate in the

. Eight months after his graduation in the

, he eventually married Monserrat or "Monchie" as she is called on December 3, 1961. They have three children, Rita Rosanna (first runner-up on

Binibining Pilipinas Binibining Pilipinas (abbreviated as Bb. Pilipinas; ) is a national beauty pageant in the Philippines that selects Filipina representatives to compete in one of the Big Four international beauty pageants: Miss International and selects two ot ...

1985), Rino Rudiyardo and Rozzano Rufino (incumbent Muntinlupa mayor), who were all successful in their respective fields.Biazon, Rodolfo , Personal Information
/ref>

References

External links

Philippine Senators' Biography - Senator Rodolfo Biazon
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Biazon, Rodolfo 1935 births Living people People from Muntinlupa People from Batac Ilocano people Filipino generals Philippine Marine Corps personnel 20th-century Filipino engineers Philippine Military Academy alumni Senators of the 14th Congress of the Philippines Senators of the 13th Congress of the Philippines Senators of the 9th Congress of the Philippines Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Muntinlupa Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs (Philippines) Aksyon Demokratiko politicians Liberal Party (Philippines) politicians Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino politicians Arellano University alumni Senators of the 11th Congress of the Philippines Senators of the 12th Congress of the Philippines Corazon Aquino administration personnel