Maria Teresa Aquino-Oreta (born Maria Teresa Aquino Aquino; June 28, 1944 – May 14, 2020), better known as Tessie Aquino-Oreta, was a
Filipina
Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or other ...
politician. She was the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture in the
11th Congress.
Early life and education
She was born on June 28, 1944 to
Benigno Aquino, Sr.
Benigno Simeon "Igno" Quiambao Aquino Sr. (born Benigno Simeón Aquino y Quiambao; September 3, 1894 – December 20, 1947) was a Filipino politician who served as Speaker of the National Assembly of the Japanese-sponsored puppet state in the ...
and Aurora Aquino-Aquino. She was the youngest of the Aquino children of Tarlac. Her siblings included
Ninoy Aquino
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 Aquino ...
, who was
assassinated
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...
in 1983.
Aquino-Oreta attended primary school at the
College of the Holy Spirit
The College of the Holy Spirit Manila, or simply CHSM, was a private, Catholic education institution founded and ran by the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit in Manila, Philippines.
Founded in 1913, College of the Holy Spirit Manil ...
in
Mendiola
Mendiola Street (simply known as "Mendiola") is a short thoroughfare in Manila, Philippines. The street is named after Enrique Mendiola, an educator, textbook author, and member of the first Board of Regents of the University of the Philipp ...
and high school at Assumption Convent. She graduated with a degree in Literature and History from Assumption Convent (now
Assumption College); she received her International Studies degree in Ciudad Ducal,
Avila, Spain. She completed her master's degree at the National Security Administration from the
National Defense College of the Philippines
The National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) ( fil, Dalubhasaan ng Tanggulang Pambansa ng Pilipinas) is an educational, training, and research agency of the Philippine government located inside Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon ...
, earning the rank of
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
(Reserve) in the
Philippine Air Force
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) ( tgl, Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas, , Army of the Air of the Philippines) ( es, Ejército Aérea del Filipinas, , Ejército de la Aérea de la Filipinas) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forc ...
.
Congressional career
House of Representatives
Before being elected to the Senate in 1998, she represented the district of
Malabon
Malabon, officially the City of Malabon ( fil, Lungsod ng Malabon), 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 380,522 people.
Located just north ...
-
Navotas
Navotas, officially the City of Navotas ( fil, Lungsod ng Navotas), 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 247,543 people.
It is known as the ...
in the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
for three consecutive terms, from 1987 to 1998.
In the Lower House, she authored, and co-authored about 280 bills (79 were enacted into laws) and proposed 101 local and national resolutions (20 were adopted). She became the Assistant Majority Floor Leader during the
8th Congress in 1987 and during the
10th Congress in 1995, becoming the first woman Assistant Majority Floor Leader in the history of the Lower House.
Senate
In the
1998 national elections, she was elected senator under the opposition
Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino
The Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino () was the umbrella political coalition party of the opposition during the May 11, 1998 Philippine general election that led to the presidency of then-Vice President Joseph E. Estrada. It was the larges ...
(LAMMP) banner. In the three years she was in office, Senator Aquino-Oreta filed 197
Senate Bill
A bill is proposed legislation under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature as well as, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an '' ...
s (authored and co-authored) and resolutions.
Estrada impeachment trial
She participated in the
impeachment trial
An impeachment trial is a trial that functions as a component of an impeachment. Several governments utilize impeachment trials as a part of their processes for impeachment, but differ as to when in the impeachment process trials take place and how ...
of former 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 ...
and was one of the senators who voted against the opening of the so-called "second envelope". After the vote, she was caught on camera doing a jig, which earned her the nickname "dancing queen" and offended some people. She apologized for the incident in a widely-broadcast political advertisement. She subsequently ran for the Senate and was defeated. She has not been elected to public office since.
Comeback attempts
Oreta ran for Senator in
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
under the administration
TEAM Unity coalition, but lost, placing 23rd. Oreta ran as Congresswoman in
Malabon
Malabon, officially the City of Malabon ( fil, Lungsod ng Malabon), 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 380,522 people.
Located just north ...
in the
2016 elections, but lost to former representative
Federico "Ricky" Sandoval II.
Personal life
She was married to businessman Antolin M. Oreta, Jr. They had four children: Rissa,
Antolin (LenLen) III, Karmela and adopted son Lorenzo (Enzo). Her sons LenLen and Enzo became mayor and councilor of Malabon, respectively.
Death
Senator Aquino-Oreta died on May 14, 2020, at the age of 75 from cancer at 10:48pm.
Ancestry
References
External links
Personal BiographyTessie sa Senado Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aquino-Oreta, Tessie
1944 births
2020 deaths
Teresa Aquino-Oreta
Maria Teresa Aquino-Oreta (born Maria Teresa Aquino Aquino; June 28, 1944 – May 14, 2020), better known as Tessie Aquino-Oreta, was a Filipina politician. She was the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture in th ...
Filipino female military personnel
Kapampangan people
Philippine Air Force personnel
Senators of the 12th Congress of the Philippines
Senators of the 11th Congress of the Philippines
Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Metro Manila
Liberal Party (Philippines) politicians
Nationalist People's Coalition politicians
Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino politicians
Filipino Roman Catholics
People from Malabon
People from Tarlac
Assumption College San Lorenzo alumni
Women members of the Senate of the Philippines
Women members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
20th-century Filipino women politicians
20th-century Filipino politicians
21st-century Filipino women politicians
21st-century Filipino politicians