Los Angeles:
By Johnny Pecayo (Chairman & Editor:Manila U.S.Times)
Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, Senate Majority Leader, is the youngest to assume the post since 1937. He was the Special Guest of Honor and Keynote Speaker at the June 8, 9 and 10, 2007 celebration of the 109th Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence.
In the early stage of his political career, Pangilinan was elected as the youngest City Councilor in Quezon City in 1988. He became Minority Leader, Quezon City Legislative Council, from 1991-1992.
He holds a masters degree in Public Administration. His Area of Concentration: Strategic Management, which he obtained from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
He earned his Bachelor of Laws degree from College of Law, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.
A double-degree holder, Kiko, as he is fondly called, also finished his Bachelor of Arts in English degree, Major in Comparative Literature, College of Arts and Letters, University of the Philippines.
He went to La Salle Greenhills in Mandaluyong City for his secondary and primary education.
He has been a member of the Philippine Senate since 2001, and was recently re-lected with a commanding lead. Pangilinan occupies other responsible positions in the Philippine Senate, as Chairperson, Committee on Rules, with jurisdiction on all matters relating to the Rules of the Senate; the Calendar as well as Parliamentary Rules and the order and manner of transacting business and the creation of committees.
From August 2001 to present, Kiko has been the Senate Representative to the Judicial and Bar Council, a constitutional body tasked to review and recommend appointments of justices and judges in the Philippine Judiciary.From February 10, 2003 to January 2004, Kiko was the Chairperson, Committee on Education, Arts and Culture, which managed matters within the Senate jurisdiction relating to the promotion and development of the state education of the country and the preservation, enrichment and evolution of Filipino Arts and Culture.
From August 2001 to January 12, 2004, Kiko was the Chairman, Committee on Justice and Human Rights. He was and is a principal in the struggle for reforms in the Philippines Judicial System and the upholding of Human Rights. He also chaired the Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement, as well as the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, with jurisdiction over matters relating to the conduct, rights, provileges, safety, dignity, integrity and reputation of the Senate and its members.
Senator Pangilinan authored and sponsored a number of important and relevant bills in the Senate, like the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act; Improvement on the salaries and benefits to justices, judges and memberf of the Judiciary; strenghtening and rationalizing the National Prosecution Service; Anti-domestic Violence Bill; curtailing Entertainment and Media Piracy in the Philippines; Anti-Money Laundering; Prohibiting the Imposition of Death Penalty; Human Rights Consciousness; National Service Training Program; Citizenship Retention Act; Filipino Overseas Absentee-Voting; Amending the Philippine Teachers Professionalization; Creation and conversion of various State universities and colleges; Creation of local courts; and Amending the Labor Code of the Philippines, by rationalizing the Composition and Functions of the National Labor Relations Commission.
Affiliation:
Pangilinan is the Chairman of the Liberal Party of the Philippines, the second oldest political party in the Philippines.
Mediaman:
Prior to getting elected senator, Kiko Pangilinan was Anchorperson, "Barangay Dos TV Show" ABS-CBN Channel 2 (2000-2001); Anchorperson, "Relos Report with Atty. Kiko" over DZMM 630 khz. (1999-2001); Anchorperson, "Batas" over DZMM 630 khz.(1998-2001); Co-anchor, "Hoy Gising" TV Show ABS-CBN (1993-1997); Legal Analyst, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, News and Current Affairs Department (1993-2001); Head, Legal Desk, ABS-CBN (1998-2001); and Anchorperson, DZMM Aksyon Ngayon (1994-1997).
Academe:
Senator Pangilinan was a lecturer on Civil Law, Political Law and Labor Law,Department of Management, Ateneo de Manila University (1993-2000).
International Conferences and Delegations:
The Senate Majority Leader in the following: -- Law and Justice: The Caseof Parliamentary Scrutiny Association of the Prevention of Torture, theInter-Parliamentary Union and the International Commission Jurist in Geneva,Switzerland, 25-27 September 2006; ASEAN 100 Leadership Forum,Singapore, September 28-29, 2005; Parliamentary Visit to the People's Republic of China, April 6-11, 2004; Asia Pacific Agenda Project Forum 2004, March 19-21, 2004; Tokyo, Japan; 4th ASEF Young Parliamentarians Meeting,October 17-20, 2002, Venice, Italy; Senate Representative to President GloriaMacapagal-Arroyo's State Visit to the People?s Republic of China and Hong Kong, October 28-November 1, 2001; and Financial Underpinnings of Terrorism, August 6-8, 2001, Washington D.C., U.S.A.
Awards and Recognition:
Testimonial of Appreciation to Senator Kiko Pangilinan, for institutionalizing CourtAnnexed/Referred Mediation Program in the Philippines and the establishment ofthe Philippine Mediation Center, San Fernando, Pampanga; Supreme Court of thePhilippines/Philippine Judicial Academy/Philippine Mediation Center/USAID &Asia Foundation presented. November 2006;
Most Outstanding Kapampangan Award for Public Service for 2002 -- San Fernando, Pampanga, October 2002;
University Medal of Honor for Exemplary Performance in Public Service --Angeles University Foundation, Angeles City, Pampanga, March 2002.
Certificate of Recognition -- Exemplary Contributions in the Field ofInvestigative Journalism and the Criminal Justice System, Crusade Against Violence (CAV) in 1996.