Rodolfo "Rudy" Castro Fariñas, Sr. (born September 5, 1951) is a Filipino lawyer, politician and the former Majority Floor Leader of the

House of Representatives of the Philippines The House of Representatives (; '','' thus commonly referred to as ''Kamara'') is the lower house of Congress of the Philippines, Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, with the Senate of the Philippines as the upper house. The ...

and represents the 1st District of

Ilocos Norte Ilocos Norte (), officially the Province of Ilocos Norte (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. It is located in the northwest corner of Luzon island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to t ...

, the Philippines. Fariñas was the last person to serve as governor of Ilocos Norte who was not related to the Marcos family. Fariñas has been described as a "henchman of the

Marcos regime Marcos may refer to: People with the given name ''Marcos'' *Marcos (given name) * Marcos family Sports ;Surnamed * Dayton Marcos, Negro league baseball team from Dayton, Ohio (early twentieth-century) * Dimitris Markos, Greek footballer * Né ...

Early life and education

Fariñas was born on September 5, 1951. In 1971, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (AB) degree from Ateneo de Manila University. He studied law and graduated from the Ateneo de Manila Law School in 1978. He placed 8th in the 1978 Philippine Bar Examinations with an 89.90% bar rating.

Political career

Fariñas was elected as City Mayor of

Laoag Laoag (), officially the City of Laoag (; ), is a component city and capital of the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 111,651 people. It is the province's most populous settlement, ...

in the election of January 30, 1980, at the age of 28 making him one of the youngest elected city mayors in the Philippines. During his administration, he implemented several infrastructural projects. The city government was also administered more closely which resulted in an increase in its revenues. Fariñas's prominence increased in the national scene after the 1986

People Power Revolution The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, were a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...

when the people of Laoag rallied to reject any efforts by the government to replace him as the city mayor. Fariñas was elected as provincial governor of Ilocos Norte in the 1988 local election where he won in a landslide victory. He was elected again in 1992 and 1995, serving for ten consecutive years. During his term, Fariñas held various posts and chairmanships like national president of JAYCEES, regional chairman of Ilocos Region Peace and Order Council (RPOC) and Reserve Officer's League of the Philippines (ROLP). He also received various awards and commendations, including the Most Outstanding Provincial Governor, 1988, and Most Outstanding Governor Award of the Year, 1996. In July 1993, Fariñas was preventively suspended as governor for 60 days by President

Fidel V. Ramos Fidel Valdez Ramos (; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR, 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 officer to reached ...

due to him facing charges of oppression and abuse of authority in court among others. The suspension was given at the recommendation of executive secretary Teofisto Guingona and presidential legal counsel Antonio Carpio. While he was governor, Fariñas created a Department of Public Safety for medical emergencies and established the Capitol Day Care Center. He also oversaw infrastructure projects like a new building at the Gov. Roque Ablan Hospital, the Centennial Arena and Olympic size swimming pool, and restoration of the Rizal Amusement Park. After completing his three consecutive terms as governor of the province, Fariñas won a seat in the 1998 local polls as Ilocos Norte's First District congressman. In September 2017, Fariñas stated the members of the Congress should be immune from apprehension when committing minor traffic violations, a policy he said would aid them in their jobs. This was backed by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

Personal life

Fariñas was married to the commercial model turned actress Maria Teresa L. Gerodias Carlson from Zambales. They have six children together, including Ria Christina, the former representative of 1st District of the

. Before his marriage to Carlson, he had two children with Janet Murrf: Rica Camille and Rey Carlos. Due to alleged cases of domestic violence, Carlson committed suicide on November 23, 2001. Her death became the foundation of Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act. Fariñas denies the accusations. On November 15, 2015, Fariñas's 20-year-old son, Rodolfo Fariñas Jr., died in a motorcycle accident in Bacarra.

References

, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Farinas, Rodolfo 1951 births Living people Ateneo de Manila University alumni Governors of Ilocos Norte Majority leaders of the House of Representatives of the Philippines Mayors of places in Ilocos Norte Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Ilocos Norte Nacionalista Party politicians Partido Demokratiko Pilipino politicians People from Laoag