Ballot 5:
Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV
FORMER SENATOR
Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (chairman)
Age: 47 (born May 7, 1977)
Highest educational attainment: Harvard University Executive Education Program on Public Policy and Leadership (December 2008)
Endorsed by: Former vice president Leni Robredo, 1SAMBAYAN, Liberal Party
Aquino presents himself as a candidate for the people, focusing on inflation and education. He vows to expose cartels to lower prices, and boost funding for education to improve the quality of teaching in the country and access to technology in schools, as well as build stronger infrastructure.
Field of Expertise
- Served as chairperson of various committees such as science and technology; education, culture and arts; trade, commerce, and entrepreneurship; and youth
- Principal sponsor and co-author of RA 10931 (Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act) which institutionalized free tuition and other school fees in state and local universities and colleges
- Principally authored and sponsored RA 10644 (Go Negosyo Act), promoting ease of doing business for micro, small and medium enterprises through Negosyo Centers established nationwide.
- Filed an anti-political dynasty bill in 2018 that stalled in second reading
Issues and Controversies
Faced sedition, cyber libel, libel and obstruction of justice complaints in 2019 for a video series linking former president Rodrigo Duterte to the illegal drug trade but was cleared of all charges in 2020
Linked to the Maute group’s terrorist attacks in Marawi City in 2017 by former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, who later retracted his allegations
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Family Members in Government
Paul Aquino
Relationship: Father
Position/s held:
- Position held: President and chief executive officer, Energy Development Corporation (2004 - 2010)
Benigno Aquino Sr.
Relationship: Grandfather
Position/s held:
- Representative- Tarlac, second district (1919 - 1928; 1945 - 1946)
- Speaker- National Assembly, Tarlac-at-large (1943 - 1944)
- Commissioner of the Interior - Philippine Executive Commission (1942)
- Secretary- Department of Agriculture and Commerce (1938 - 1940)
- National Assembly Member- Tarlac, second district (1935 - 1938)
- Senator -Third Senatorial District (1928 - 1934)
- Senate Majority Leader (1931 - 1934)
Servillano “Mianong” Aquino
Relationship: Great-grandfather
Position/s held:
Delegate for Samar, Malolos Congress (1898 - 1899)
Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.
Relationship: Uncle
Position/s held:
- Senator (1967 - 1972)
- Governor, Tarlac (1961 - 1967)
- Vice Governor, Tarlac (1959 - 1961)
- Mayor, Concepcion, Tarlac (1955 - 1959)
- Presidential adviser on defense affairs (1949 - 1954)
Agapito “Butz” Aquino
Relationship: Uncle
Position/s held:
- Representative, Makati City - second district (1998 - 2007)
- Deputy speaker, House of Representatives (2000 - 2001)
- Senator (1987 - 1995)
Jesli Aquino Lapus
Relationship: Uncle
Position/s held:
- Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry (March - June 2010)
- Secretary, Department of Education (August 2006 - March 2010)
- Representative, Tarlac-third district (1998 - 2006)
- Undersecretary - Department of Agrarian Reform (1987 - 1989)
Corazon “Cory” Cojuangco-Aquino
Relationship: Aunt
Position/s held:
- President (1986 - 1992)
Maria Teresa “Tessie” Aquino-Oreta
Relationship: Aunt
Position/s held:
- Senator (1998 - 2004)
- Representative - Malabon-Navotas, lone district (1987 - 1998)
Herminio Aquino
Relationship: Great-uncle
Position/s held:
- Vice Governor - Tarlac (1998 - 2001)
- Representative - Tarlac, third district (1987 - 1998)
- Minister - Ministry of Human Settlements (1986 - 1987)
Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III
Relationship: Cousin
Position/s held:
- President (2010 - 2016)
- Senator (2007 - 2010)
- Representative- Tarlac, second district (1998 - 2007)
- Deputy Speaker - House of Representatives (2004 - 2006)
Antolin “Lenlen” Oreta III
Relationship: Cousin
Position/s held:
- Mayor - Malabon City (2012 - 2022)
- Vice Mayor - Malabon City (2010 - 2012)
- Councilor - Malabon City (2007 - 2010)
Jose Lorenzo “Enzo” Oreta
Relationship: Cousin
Position/s held:
Councilor - Malabon City (2016 - 2022)Where this candidate stands on top 5 concerns of the Filipino voter
- Vows to go after cartels in the importation sector and eliminate red tape in the country’s ports to help lower the prices of goods
- Plans to amend the Rice Tariffication Law to be more effective in lowering market prices without hurting the income and production of local farmers
- Pushes for increasing the budget of the education sector and ensuring funds are properly utilized to address gaps in the curriculum, technology and infrastructure and reforming the K-12 law to make senior high school graduates more employable
- Favors the ban on offshore gaming operations which he considers a national security concern
- Pushes for a clear approach in combating corruption in government
- Seeks to refile the anti-political dynasty bill, saying that concentration of power in a few families is counterintuitive to democracy
- Agrees with the administration’s policies on the West Philippine Sea, including the so-called “assertive transparency initiative” or making public China’s aggressive acts in the disputed area
- Does not think the country has been pivoting too much towards the United States, believing more can be gained from the country’s long-time ally especially in terms of obtaining defense equipment
- Says those responsible for extrajudicial killings during the drug war of former president Rodrigo Duterte must be brought to justice
- Agrees that Duterte must face the charges against him in the International Criminal Court but it is more important that he be tried by Philippine courts
- Calls for intensifying disaster preparedness not just against typhoons and flooding but also extreme heat, stressing that the climate crisis is a health crisis
- Says the country needs climate change laws that also address disaster rehabilitation to help people and communities rebuild homes and infrastructure after calamities
Interesting Facts
- Was youngest senator in the 16th and 17th Congresses, beginning his term in 2013 at 36 years old.
- Abandoned plans to seek another Senate term to serve as campaign manager for then-vice president Leni Robredo’s presidential run in 2022
- Hosted two youth-oriented shows on ABS-CBN’s Studio 23 (2001 – 2007), and a business-oriented program on GMA News TV in 2012
- Established his own gaming content platform called “BAM Gaming” which hosts giveaways, tournaments and game reviews.