Ramon Mitra, Jr.

Ramon Villarosa Mitra, Jr. (born February 4, 1928: Puerto Princesa, Palawan — died March 20, 2000: Makati City), was a prominent politician and a pro-democracy activist of the Philippines.

Early life and career

Mitra was born in Puerto Princesa to Ramon P. Mitra and Purification Villarosa. He attended public school for elementary education and took his secondary education in San Beda College, Manila. He finished his Liberal Arts degree in Baguio City and obtained his Bachelor of Laws in San Beda.

Mitra was appointed Philippine Foreign Service Officer in Washington, D.C. and at the United Nations from 1954 to 1961; in 1961 he was appointed as special assistant to the Office of the President. He was a senior technical assistant to the Office of the Mayor of Manila from 1962 up to 1965.

Political life

Mitra was elected congressman representing Palawan for two terms from 1965 to 1973; he resigned during his second term to run for the senate and was elected senator in 1971, only to find his term cut short by Martial Law. Mitra was imprisoned along with other opposition figures during the martial law period. He gained his release in the early 1980s and was elected as assemblyman to the Regular Batasang Pambansa in 1984. After the People Power Revolution in 1986, Mitra was appointed as Agriculture Secretary. After the restoration of the House of Representatives he ran as congressman representing the second district of Palawan. He was eventually elected as Speaker of the House at its inaugural session.

In 1991, Mitra, who was also the party president of the LDP Party, was selected in a party convention as the candidate for the presidency ahead of Defense secretary Fidel Ramos. Ramos bolted the party and formed his own party- the Lakas ng Tao Party. Mitra's bid was difficult because he was branded as a "traditional politician" and suffered many controversies including the use of the congressional printing press for his election materials. These issues brought Mitra's defeat in the 1992 election and brought Fidel Ramos to the presidency.

In 1995, he agreed to create a coalition with Fidel V. Ramos and formed the Lakas-Laban Coalition. In the 1995 elections, he ran for senator but lost.In the 1998 elections, he returned to the political spotlight as a key supporter of Joseph Estrada's successful presidential campaign. Estrada rewarded Mitra by naming him president of the state-owned Philippine National Oil Corporation.

Throughout his career he maintained close ties to the logging and mining industries, often implicated in accepting favors from influential families in exchange for political favors. He was instrumental in the harassment of environmentalists who were in pushing for a total logging ban on Palawan. His defeat as senator in 1992 followed a groundswell of support for pro-environment candidates.

Personal life

"Monching," as he was popularly known, was married to Cecilia Aldeguer Blanco; they had seven children. One of his children, Abraham Kahlil, is currently serving as congressman representing the second district of Palawan and Raul Mitra, his other son, is currently musical director, somposer, and songwriter, and is married to singer Cacai Velasquez, Regine Velasquez's sister.

He had a life-long involvement with cattle. He was Chairman of the Farm Management Enterprises Corporation which owned and operated farm cattle ranches and was a breeder of gamecocks, thoroughbred horses, and cattle.

Mitra died at the Makati Medical Center from liver cancer. One of his last requests was to be buried in Palawan with simple funeral rites unlike his predecessors in the House. A building was named after him serving as the West wing in the Batasan Complex in Quezon City.

External links

* [http://www.congress.gov.ph House of Representatives of the Philippines]
* [http://www.pcsd.ph/news_updates/articles/NEWS%202006/RVM%2078th%20birhday.htm PCSD pays tribute to the father (Ramon Mitra, Jr.) and author of SEP (Strategic Environmental Plan) R.A. 7611]