Eduardo Nonato Joson | |
|---|---|
 Joson's portrait at the Nueva Ecija Provincial Capitol, Palayan | |
| Member of thePhilippine House of Representatives forNueva Ecija's1st district | |
| In office June 30, 2007 – June 30, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Josefina Joson |
| Succeeded by | Josefina Joson |
| In office June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1992 | |
| Preceded by | Leopoldo Diaz |
| Succeeded by | Renato Diaz |
| Administrator ofNational Food Authority | |
| In office June 30, 1998 – November 3, 2000 | |
| President | Joseph Estrada |
| Succeeded by | Domingo F. Panganiban |
| 28thGovernor of Nueva Ecija | |
| In office June 30, 1995 – June 30, 1998 Suspended: July – September 1997 | |
| Vice Governor | Oscar Tinio |
| Preceded by | Tomas Joson III |
| Succeeded by | Tomas Joson III |
| Member of theRegular Batasang Pambansa fromNueva Ecija | |
| In office June 30, 1984 – March 25, 1986 Serving with Angel Concepcion, Leopoldo Diaz, and Mario Garcia | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1950-08-31)August 31, 1950 |
| Died | March 12, 2025(2025-03-12) (aged 74) |
| Political party | PDP–Laban (2021–2025) |
| Other political affiliations | Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija (local party) Aksyon (2004) KBL (1984–1992) Independent (2007–2021) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Eduardo Nonato "Edno"Noriel Joson[1] (August 31, 1950 – March 12, 2025) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served in thePhilippine legislature asassemblyman fromNueva Ecija (1984–1986) andrepresentative ofthe province's first district (1987–1992 and 2007–2010).[1][2]
In the local level, he served asprovincial governor (1995–1998)[1][3] wherein he was suspended twice in his tenure.[4]
He also served as administrator of theNational Food Authority duringthe presidency ofJoseph Estrada.[4]
He was the second son of former Nueva Ecija GovernorEduardo Joson Sr.
The second son born to his parents, "Edno"[5] was born inQuezon, Nueva Ecija[6] on August 31, 1950, toEduardo Joson, who becamegovernor of Nueva Ecija, and Araceli Noriel.[7]
Joson married Margaret Rose Gil; they had four children.[7]
His son, Eduardo Rey, was electedmember of the province'sSangguniang Panlalawigan in 2010[8] and2013, representingthe first district.[3][9][10] He failed in his attempt for re-electionin 2016.[11]
From 2010, he was engaged in rice farming while residing in the municipalities of Guimba and Quezon.[3][12]
On March 12, 2025, Eduardo died at the age of 74.[13] Bopet Dizon, his son-in-law, served as mayor ofGuimba.[1]
While residing inQuezon City, he studied atSan Beda College from primary level until he finishedBachelor of Laws.[6][7]
Pursuing his studies inNew York City,[6] he finishedMaster of Laws (Labor) inNew York University in 1983.[7]
He also tookDoctor of Laws in theUniversity of Santo Tomas andMaster of Arts in Filipino in theUniversity of the Philippines.[7]
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He was a parliamentarian in theRegular Batasang Pambansa,[7] representingNueva Ecija[5] (1984–1986).[14]
In 1987, ran under the local political partyBagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija (Balane), he was electedrepresentative ofthe province's first district,[7][6][5] serving inthe 8th Congress until 1992.[14]
He was an advocate for the propagation of the national language.[7] In his entire congressional career, he used theFilipino language in legislation.[14]
Originally seeking for return as district representative,[15] he replaced his elder brother,Tomas III, ran (Balane–Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino–Nationalist People's Coalition) and was later elected provincial governor[16][6][5] against Virginia Custodio–Perez (ofthen rulingLakas–NUCD), who replaced her husband,Cabanatuan mayor Honorato Perez, killed few weeks prior tothe 1995 elections in which Tomas III and then Quezon mayor Mariano Cristino were implicated.[17] Following the incident, the latter two, then running for re-election, being charged of double murder,[15] had withdrew their candidacies.[17] Eduardo Nonato served until 1998[3] as Tomas regained the governorship inthat year's elections while in detention; the cases against all the accused were eventually dismissed.[16]
As provincial governor, he started projects in thebarangays focusing on peace and order, medical services, and serving indigents and the homeless; initiated training, especially for disaster response, to enhance public service; and created an office to handle investments. He expanded college scholarship and clean and green programs.[14]
In 1996, Edno reportedly raided the session hall of the provincial board to confront vice governor Oscar Tinio (Lakas–NUCD) and his allies for reportedly not acting on a loan being sought by the provincial government.[4] He was later charged of grave misconduct and abuse of authority through a complaint filed by some board members.[18] As a result, he was suspended twice byExecutive SecretaryRuben Torres.[19] On July 11, 1997, an order was issued giving him a 60-day preventive suspension.[20][21][19] On January 8, 1998, he was found guilty of the offenses and a six-month suspension was imposed, which he defied as the provincial capitol compound was cordoned off until the authorities hastily and peacefully retreat;[4] theSupreme Court in May declared the said order null and void.[19] Tinio was then designated by theInterior SecretaryRobert Barbers to assume the governorship.[21][19]
Joson was designated as administrator of theNational Food Authority duringthe presidency ofJoseph Estrada. He resigned in November 2000,[4] few months before the end of the administration.[22][23] He made efforts to lower prices for basic commodities through rolling andsari-sari stores. He initiated seedling and fertilizer subsidy to farmers; establishment of post-harvest facilities and equipment; and introduced electronic system of trading in agriculture.[14]
In 2004, Edno ran forsenator under the ticket (Aksyon Demokratiko) of presidential candidateRaul Roco.[1][14]
Joson, ran under Balane–KAMPI coalition,[16] was elected again as district representative (2007–2010)[9][24][25] and did not seek re-election thereafter.[26] Among his proposed bills in the14th Congress include: establishment of theCivil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Republic Act No. 9497); strengthening the University of the Philippines as the premier state university (RA No. 9500); strengthening programs tomicro, small and medium scale enterprises (RA No. 9501; amendingRA No. 6977, theMagna Carta for Small Enterprises); and provision for cheaper medicines (RA No. 9502); all enacted in 2008.[27]
Ranindependentin the 2019 elections, he failed in his attempt to regain the governorship.[12][28]
Edno, ran underPDP–Laban, lost to his younger brother and re-electionist mayor of Quezon, Mariano Cristino (Boyet),in the 2022 elections.[6][5][29]
A week after he filed his candidacy, a petition for its cancellation was filed by his lone mayoralty opponent.[30] Mariano accused Edno of misrepresenting himself by claiming to have been a Quezon resident since birth for him to run in the said election. The petition claimed that he is a Guimba resident since 2000 and had long abandoned hisplace of birth as he had never owned a property there, citing affidavit issued by their mother and other documents.[6]
In January 2022, theCommission on Elections First Division granted the said petition;[30] ruling that there is insufficient information to establish that he is able to comply with the residency requirement.[6]
Denying the accusations, he insisted that there is no law requiring someone to own property to establish one's domicile. He was about to raise the said decision to the Supreme Court, as a municipal trial court had approved his petition for inclusion in the voters' list of Quezon.[6]