Ernesto Maceda

This name uses Philippine naming customs. The middle name or maternal family name is Madarang and the surname or paternal family name is Maceda.

Ernesto Maceda
18th President of the Senate of the Philippines
In office October 10, 1996 – January 26, 1998
President	Fidel V. Ramos
Preceded by	Neptali Gonzales
Succeeded by	Neptali Gonzales
Minority leader of the Senate of the Philippines
In office January 26, 1998 – June 30, 1998
President	Fidel V. Ramos
Preceded by	Neptali Gonzales
Succeeded by	Teofisto Guingona, Jr.
14th Senate President pro tempore of the Philippines
In office January 18, 1992 – January 18, 1993
President	Corazon Aquino (1992) Fidel V. Ramos (1992–1993)
Preceded by	Sotero Laurel
Succeeded by	Teofisto Guingona, Jr.
Senator of the Philippines
In office June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1998
In office December 30, 1971 – September 23, 1972
Secretary of Commerce and Industry
In office 1970–1971
President	Ferdinand Marcos
Preceded by	Leonides Virata
Succeeded by	Troadio T. Quiazon
Executive Secretary
In office 1969–1970
President	Ferdinand Marcos
Presidential Assistant on Community Development
In office 1966–1969
President	Ferdinand Marcos
Personal details
Born	(1935-03-26) March 26, 1935 Pagsanjan, Laguna, Philippine Islands
Political party	United Nationalist Alliance Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino Nationalist People's Coalition Nacionalista Party
Spouse(s)	Marichu Vera-Perez
Occupation	Lawyer; Politician
Profession	Lawyer; Politician

Ernesto Maceda Maceda is a columnist and a Filipino politician who served as a Senator from 1971 to 1972 and again from 1987 to 1998. He served as Senate President from 1996 to 1998.

Early life and career

Maceda was born on March 26, 1935 in Pagsanjan, Laguna. Maceda earned his associate in Arts degree, Magna Cum Laude in 1952, and bachelor of Laws degree, Cum Laude, from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1956. He then finished Master of Laws, Taxation and International Law at Harvard Law School, Massachusetts, USA in 1957.

At the age of 23, he was hailed as the No. 1 Councilor of Manila in 1959. Because of his numerous achievements in the City Council, Councilor Maceda was named “Outstanding Councilor of Manila". In 1966, he served as the Presidential Assistant on Community Development and was the youngest Cabinet Member of the Marcos administration. In 1969, he was appointed Executive Secretary in concurrent capacity as Chairman of the Commission on Reorganization. In 1970, the Commerce and Industry portfolio was given to Maceda. In the post, he launched consumer protection programs and established trade relations with various Eastern European Social countries.

Senator of the Philippines

First term (1971–1972)

During the 1971 midterm elections, Maceda was only one out of three senators elected under the banner of the Nacionalista party of then-President Ferdinand Marcos. He took office on December 30, 1971. In 1972, Maceda’s bill granting protection to real estate buyers on installment basis was the only bill signed into law before Martial Law was proclaimed. The bill is known as the Maceda Law. His term was supposed to have ended on December 30, 1977. He then went to exile in the United States after breaking with President Marcos over the Martial Law declaration and eventually became the adviser of the late Sen. Benigno S. Aquino. Following Sen. Aquino's assassination, he became one of the leaders of the opposition during the 1984 Batasan Pambansa Campaign and the 1986 snap presidential election.

Second term (1987–1992)

When Corazon Aquino was installed as President of the Philippines, he was appointed to head the Ministry of Natural Resources. The following year, he ran for the Senate under the Corazon Aquino's ticket and won. He served his second term as Senator from June 30, 1987 to June 30, 1992.

Third term (1992–1998)

During the 1992 general elections, Senator Maceda was re-elected under the Nationalist People's Coalition, which was a faction that bolted from the Nacionalista Party, headed by former Tarlac Governor Danding Cojuangco. Placing sixth in the senatorial race, he took office as Senator for a third time and served from June 30, 1992 to June 30, 1998. In his third term, he served as Senate President from 1996–1998.

Senate Presidency

On October 10, 1996, the Senate was re-organized and Maceda was installed as Senate President succeeding Neptali A. Gonzales, Sr. In November of that year, Senate President Maceda delivered a speech denouncing the PEA-Amari Scandal – calling the same as the "grandmother of all scams". The PEA-Amari Scandal was a controversial deal involved the acquisition of 158 hectares of reclaimed land on Manila Bay that was to be converted into so-called Freedom Islands. The deal was forged as part of the Ramos administration's Manila Bay Master Development Plan (MBMDP). During this time, he was also nicknamed "Mr.Expose." by the Philippine Free Press.

Post-Senate Presidency and Senate term

On January 26, 1998, he resigned as Senate President, citing loss of support by the majority of his fellow Senators. Then Senator Neptali Gonzales, whom Maceda helped installed to serve Senate President from 1992-1993 and 1995-1996 was once and for all elected as Senate President. Maceda, became the new Minority Leader of the Senate.

In February, 1998 months before his second and last term as Senator end, Maceda ran for mayor of Manila in the 1998 presidential elections, but lost. Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, then the Assistant Minority Leader of the Senate becomes the Acting Minority Leader even though he was also running for the presidency of the Philippines.

After his term in the Senate ended, Maceda was appointed Philippine Ambassador to the United States (1998–2001) by President Joseph Estrada.

In the 2004 elections, Maceda run for Senator,under the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino of presidential candidate Fernando Poe, Jr., but lost. He ran again in the 2013 elections, but lost his bid to return to the Senate.

In 2007, he joined the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and became one of the professors of the PLM College of Law. Maceda holds the distinction of being the only Filipino to have held 5 Cabinet Positions in his lifetime.

He writes a column for the Philippine Star, entitled "Search For Truth" every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. He also hosts his radio talkshow "Mr. Expose" on radio station DZRJ 810 AM every Sunday from 8:00–9:30 AM.

External links and sources

• Official Website of the Philippine Senate – Sen. Ernesto Maceda, PhD