Erin Tañada Explained

Lorenzo Tañada III
Office:Deputy Speakers of the House of Representatives of the Philippines for Luzon
Predecessor:Amelita Villarosa
Successor:Roberto Puno
Birth Name:Lorenzo Reyes Tañada III
Birth Date:1963 8, mf=yes
Birth Place:Manila, Philippines
Nationality:Filipino
Party:Liberal
Children:2 (with Julie)
Relations:Lorenzo M. Tañada Sr. (grandfather)
Alma Mater:Ateneo de Manila University (BA)
Manuel L. Quezon University (LL.B.)
Occupation:Politician
Profession:Lawyer
Parents:Wigberto Tañada
Azucena Reyes
Office1:Member of the House of Representatives from Quezon's 4th district
Predecessor1:Georgilu Yumul-Hermida
Successor1:Angelina Tan
Termstart:July 26, 2010
Termend:June 30, 2013
Termstart1:June 30, 2004
Termend1:June 30, 2013

Lorenzo "Erin" Reyes Tañada III (in Tagalog tɐˈɲada/, born August 16, 1963) is a Filipino lawyer, broadcaster, and human rights and labor rights advocate who has served as a Deputy Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives. A member of the Liberal Party, he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2004, as the representative of the 4th District of Quezon Province.

He is particularly known for being the author of "Anti-Torture Act of 2009" (Republic Act No. 9749), the "Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity" (Republic Act No. 9851), and the "Renewable Energy Act of 2008" (RA 9513) as well as for his strong advocacy of the Freedom of Information Bill.[1]

He formerly served as the manager for news and public affairs of UNTV-37 and host for several programs of the said station.

Early life and career

Erin Tañada is a grandson of the late Senator Lorenzo M. Tañada and the eldest child of former Senator Wigberto E. Tañada, the Senator who led the fight to rid the country of the U.S. military bases in Clark and Subic.[2] He is the eldest of the four children of Wigberto and Nanay Zeny, along with younger siblings Toby, Marites and Trina.

His exposure to public service brought him to the parliament of the streets during the latter part of the Martial Law years. Tañada was a college student at Ateneo de Manila University where he actively updated his fellow students on political developments. When former Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. was assassinated in 1983, he joined the university's Task Force Ninoy, a group supporting the advocacies of Ninoy Aquino. He finished his legal studies at the Manuel L. Quezon University - School of Law, and with a never give up attitude, passed the Philippine Bar Examination on his third try. He would later practice law at the Tañada, Vivo and Tan law office.

Political career

Tañada started his political career by winning the seat of the fourth district of Quezon Province in the House of Representatives in 2004. He was the Assistant Majority Leader of the 13th Congress, the Chairman of the House of Representatives' Committee on Human Rights of the 14th Congress, and the Deputy Speaker of the 15th Congress. He was re-elected unopposed for his third term as Congressman. While he eyed the Speakership of the 15th Congress, he gave way to Quezon City representative Feliciano Sonny Belmonte.[3]

He was at the forefront of the second high government official to ever be impeached, Philippine Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, for betrayal of the public trust. The House of Representatives successfully impeached Gutierrez in March 2011, with him being one of the representatives that defended the impeachment on the floor, and among the 212 representatives that voted to impeach her.[4]

He was a spokesperson of the prosecution during the impeachment of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona.[5]

As Congressman for three consecutive terms, his advocacies include having -

Tañada ran during the May 13, 2019 senatorial election as part of the Otso Diretso slate, the entire slate however lost amid a contentious race that culminated in a 7-hour freeze of the transmission of the counting of votes.

On July 19, 2019, the PNPCriminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed charges against members of the Otso Diretso opposition for "sedition, cyber libel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal, and obstruction of justice".[6] [7] On February 10, 2020, they were cleared of all charges.[8]

For the 2022 General Elections, Former Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada served as the campaign manager[9] of the Team Robredo-Pangilinan (TRoPa) Senatorial Slate which produced three winning candidates, he is quoted during the campaign with the statement, "“Kahit ano pa ang kulay mo, kung ikaw ay para sa pag-usad ng ating bansa sa ilalim ng isang gobyernong tapat, welcome ka!”

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: UNTV Hosts . UNTV News and Public Affairs Website . 15 October 2018.
  2. News: 3rd-gen Tañada steps forward . Fonbuena . Carmela . 2011-03-31 . Newsbreak . 2011-03-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110415012438/http://www.newsbreak.ph/2011/03/31/third-generation-tanada-steps-forward . 2011-04-15 . dead . Public Trust Media Group, Inc..
  3. Web site: Belmonte is LP bet for Speaker . 2010-06-09 . Manila Bulletin.
  4. News: House votes 210-47, impeaches Ombudsman . . Paolo . Romero . 2011-03-22 . 2011-03-22.
  5. Web site: 100 witnesses against Chief Justice Corona. inquirer. inquirert. 8 July 2023.
  6. News: Robredo, ilang taga-oposisyon kinasuhan ng PNP-CIDG ukol sa 'Bikoy' videos . ABS-CBN News . tl.
  7. News: Sedition raps: Solons, bishop hit 'stupid' PNP . July 20, 2019 . Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  8. Web site: DOJ clears Robredo, charges Trillanes in sedition case . . February 10, 2020 . February 10, 2020.
  9. Web site: Ramos . Christia Marie . 2022-04-20 . New Robredo campaign logo 'welcomes all colors' – Tañada . 2022-11-28 . INQUIRER.net . en.