Raul Roco

Raul Sagarbarria Roco (October 26, 1941 – August 5, 2005) was a political figure in the Philippines. He was the standard-bearer of "Aksyon Demokratiko", which he founded in 1997 as a vehicle for his presidential bids in 1998 and 2004. He was a former senator and the Secretary of the Department of Education under the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He had a strong following among young voters in the Philippines, due to his efforts to promote honesty and good governance.

Roco was married to Sonia Cubillo Malasarte, who is from Bohol. They have six children (Robbie Pierre, Raul Jr., Sophia, Sareena, Rex and Synara) and five grandchildren (Nica, Reece, Samantha, Shania and Beanie).

On December 20, 2007, the National Bureau of Investigation investigated spouses Enrique Avanceña (grandson of President Manuel Quezon), Sophia Roco, daughter of Raul Roco, over credit card and Internet fraud based on complaint of Theresa Gonzales, of Information Gateway. Cynthia Rehberg, fraud investigator for Expedia Inc. submitted the critical information. [ [http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news4_dec21_2007 manilastandardtoday.com, Roco daughter accused of credit fraud] ]

Early life & education

Raúl Roco was born in Naga City in the Philippine province of Camarines Sur, the son of farmer Sulpicio Azuela Roco and public school teacher Rosario Orlanda Sagarbarria.

Roco finished elementary school at age 10 from Naga Parochial School, and high school at age 14 from Ateneo de Naga. He graduated "magna cum laude" from San Beda College in Manila with a degree in English at the age of 18. Then, he was also the Editor-in-Chief of The Bedan working with the likes of Rene Saguisag and Jaime Licauco. Later, Roco received a Bachelor of Laws degree (also at San Beda College) and was the college's Abbott Awardee for Over-All Excellence. In the United States, he studied Comparative Law as a University Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, while also enrolled at the Wharton School for Multinational Studies.

He was the president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines in 1961 and was named one of the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines in 1964. His wife Sonia was the Most Outstanding Student that same year.

As a result of his various other achievements, he had been awarded seven honorary doctorates.Fact|date=March 2007

Political/professional career

After he passed the bar in 1965, Roco lobbied for the holding of a Constitutional Convention that aimed to amend the 1935 Philippine Constitution. He campaigned for a seat to represent his district in Camarines Sur. He won and thus became convention's youngest Bicolano delegate.

From 1983 to 1985, he served as president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. While there, he was on the legal staff of the late Philippine Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, and he drafted the Study Now, Pay Later law.

Alongside his work in law, he has also served as a film producer. In 1974, he was the executive producer of the late film director Lino Brocka's movie "Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang"; this film won six FAMAS awards that year, including best film.

Among all legislators of the Eighth Congress of the Philippines (which lasted from 1987-1992), he was adjudged by the Ford Foundation and the University of the Philippines Institute of Strategic and Development Studies as first in over-all performance.

As senator

Roco served as a senator from 1992 to 2001, making many contributions that led many to recognize him as an "outstanding senator". He wrote the law which reformed the nation's banking system; this earned him the title "Father of the Bangko Sentral". Some other laws that he wrote resulted in the liberalization of the banking industry and the strengthening of the thrift banks. In addition, he wrote the Intellectual Property Code and the Securities Regulation Code.

Roco has also made several contributions to education in the Philippines. He helped fund the teachers’ cooperatives as well as the increment mandated by the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers for retiring public school teachers. On the students’ side, he helped bring computers into Philippine universities, colleges, and public schools. In addition, he devised a plan for meal scholarships for poor students at the Philippine Normal University.

Roco wrote several bills targeted at protecting and prioritizing women in the Philippines. He wrote the Women in Nation Building Law, the Nursing Act, the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law, the Anti-Rape Law, and the Child and Family Courts Act. He also let women play major roles in the Department of Education’s literacy program. Out of thanks to his services for women, many women's groups named him an "Honorary Woman".

He also drafted a bill that abolished double taxation on Filipinos working abroad.

He was given the Bantay Katarungan award by Kilosbayan for playing an integral role in the senate impeachment trial of then-president Joseph Estrada.

As Secretary of Education

Roco took over as education secretary of the Philippines in 2001, at a time when the Philippines had not only one of the ten most corrupt governments in the world (according to Transparency International), but its Department of Education was also the fourth-most corrupt of its agencies (as named by the Asia Foundation - Social Weather Stations Survey of Enterprises on Public Sector Corruption). To combat this corruption, Roco imposed a department-wide transparency policy which also held employees accountable for the purchase of textbooks, which had been a major source of the department's corruption. This allowed the department to purchase textbooks for a much lower price, and after just eight months under Roco's leadership, the Department of Education gained a 73% public approval rating and became the most trusted government agency in the Philippines.

During his tenure in that position, Roco allowed free public education (through high school) as required by the Philippine Constitution. He also enacted a reform of basic education curriculum in order that children would focus their studies on reading, writing, arithmetic, science, and Makabayan. In addition, he made sure that teachers were paid promptly and ended the 3% "service fee" that the department had long been deducting from teachers' pay.

Candidacy for President

1998

Roco ran for president in the 1998 Philippine election. He lost to Vice-President Joseph Estrada but had a remarkable showing in a field of eleven candidates despite being an independent candidate. His strong showing was attributed to the widespread support he received from young Filipinos who eventually formed his party, Aksyon Demokratiko, and its youth arm, Aksyon Kabataan. Party leaders then included Jaime Galvez Tan, Lorna Patajo-Kapunan and Darwin Mariano.

2004

Roco rode his success in the Department of Education into a run for the Philippine presidency. His candidacy was based on his ability to fight corruption and to display fair play, decency, and honor. His Aksyon Demokratiko party formed a coalition with Promdi and Reporma, the parties of 1998 presidential candidates Lito Osmeña and Renato de Villa, to form the "Alyansa ng Pag-asa" (Alliance of Hope).

Despite having the support of Osmeña, who is one of the most influential and most powerful people among Cebuanos, Roco failed to get a huge chunk of votes in the island of Cebu. A public relations blunder hit his campaign when he and his group toured the slums in Cebu City (planned as an up-close-and-personal strategy to get closer to the voters) expecting thousands of people to come out and greet him. Despite the preparation, only a little over 130 people met him and the very next day, one of the local newspapers published a panoramic shot of Roco in the slums smiling to the camera and the people shown were very few and unenthusiastic. This image created an impression that Cebuanos were not willing to vote Roco for president and in the end, over 80% of Cebu's voters supported President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Roco was a front-runner in pre-election surveys and was considered a strong contender. However, during the campaign, he battled with bone cancer, which developed after his bout with prostate cancer in 1996. His illness forced him to leave the campaign trail for medical attention in the United States. Doctors told him that his condition was not life-threatening and that he could continue his run for the presidency. He returned to the campaign trail, but concerns about his illness greatly diminished his support.

He lost the election to the incumbent, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and finished fourth in a field of 5 candidates.

He was the President of Akyson Demokratiko until his death.

Death

On 5 August 2005, Raul Roco died of cardiac arrest, brought about by prostate cancer, at St Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City. He was buried on August 11 in Naga City, Camarines Sur. [ [http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20080713-148135/Whats-Sonia-Roco-up-to showbizandstyle.inquirer.net, What’s Sonia Roco up to?] ]

His widow, Sonia, was beaten for Senator under the Genuine Opposition (formerly United Opposition) umbrella in the May 14, 2007 midterm elections and still representing the party he started, Aksyon Demokratiko, in the hopes of continuing the advocacies that her late husband had started.

ee also

*Philippine general election, 2004
*Philippine general election, 1998

External links

* [http://www.raulroco.com Official website]
* [http://www.raulroco.com/aksyonD/aksyonD.htm Aksyon Demokratiko]
* [http://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/former_senators/raul_roco.htm&e=8092 Biography at the Senate of the Philippines website]
* [http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=1&story_id=45913 Former senator Roco dies] News of his death and obituary in the Philippine Inquirer
* [http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/net/2005/08/05/ex.senator.roco.passes.away.(11.01.a.m.).html Ex-senator Roco passes away (11.01 a.m.)] News of his death in the Sunstar
* [http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=12385 Raul Roco succumbs to prostate cancer] Article from ABS-CBN news
* [http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=45968 The grass will be greener the next day] Article from INQ7.net
* [http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=12394 Malacañan: Roco a true patriot, freedom fighter] Article from ABS-CBN with reactions from other Philippine politicians
* [http://news.inq7.net/opinion/index.php?index=2&story_id=46516&col=82 Roco in search of Camelot] Philippine Daily Inquirer article
* [http://www.caddenside.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=AboardPR103&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php A single photographic tribute to the great Late Senator Roco] Aboard PR103 with Rob, Lyds and Ron Oania

References

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
before = Br. Andrew Gonzalez
after = Edilberto de Jesus
title = Secretary of Education
years = 2001-02