Sen. Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr

Sen. Bong Revilla
Key Arroyo ally

MANILA, Philippines – The Revillas have been longtime allies of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Former Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr. belonged to Arroyo’s party, Lakas-Kampi CMD. The wife of incumbent Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Lani Mercado, who is the representative of Cavite’s second district, is also a member of Lakas-CMD-Kampi.
 
Bong Revilla is one Arroyo’s 2 partymates in the Senate; the other one is Sen. Lito Lapid. Revilla is the president of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, while Arroyo is its chairman emeritus.

Revilla ran under the administration-led Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan in the 2004 senatorial elections. Prior to this, in 2002, he was appointed by Arroyo as chairman of the Videogram Regulatory Board.

Revilla, who was re-elected in 2010, has consistently defended the former President, who is now Pampanga representative.

He said the government should allow her to seek medical specialists on bone illnesses abroad, especially as no case has been filed against her yet. If they want to make sure she will return to the country, Revilla suggested that they provide her escorts.

His wife, Lani, abstained in the voting on the impeachment of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez – an appointee of Arroyo – in 2011, saying she did not want to influence her husband’s decision. Gutierrez, however, later resigned.

Last year, there were reports that Lakas was grooming Revilla to be its standard-bearer in the 2016 presidential race, when his term ends as a senator.

Age: 45

Education: Completed diploma courses on Special Local Chief Executive
Program On Local Governance and Philippine Legislative Institutions and Processes from the Development Academy of the Philippines

Profession: movie actor

Senate committee: Public services and public works

Current term: 2010 to 2016

Eligible for reelection? No. His current term, which ends in 2016, is his second 6-year term. He was elected to the Senate for the first time in 2004. He got reelected to a second 6-year term in 2010. The Constitution says senators can only serve for 2 consecutive terms. 

Political party: Lakas-Kampi-CMD

Senate bloc: He belongs to the bloc of Sen. Edgardo Angara, which is composed of senators Lito Lapid, Gregorio Honasan, Loren Legarda and
Vicento Sotto.

Position published or aired on Corona or on issues contained in the Articles of Impeachment:

Revilla said the Department of Justice should have deferred to the SC when it issued a temporary restraining order enjoining the DOJ from
enforcing its travel ban against Arroyo and her husband, lawyer Jose Miguel.

“The Supreme Court was merely doing its job – that is to act upon a petition that has been brought to them for immediate action. As a lawyer herself, and as former Chair of the Commission on Human Rights, it is incumbent upon Secretary De Lima to protect the rights of all Filipinos, even those of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,” he said. – Rappler.com

Sources: www.senate.gov.ph, www.gmanews.tv, www.inquirer.net