Gregorio Honasan | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2016 | |
| 2nd Secretary of Information and Communications Technology | |
| In office July 1, 2019 – October 8, 2021 | |
| President | Rodrigo Duterte |
| Preceded by | Eliseo Rio Jr. (OIC) |
| Succeeded by | Jose Arturo De Castro (OIC) |
| Senator of the Philippines | |
| In office June 30, 2007 – June 30, 2019 | |
| In office June 30, 1995 – June 30, 2004 | |
| Chair of theSenate National Defense and Security Committee | |
| In office July 25, 2016 – November 20, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Antonio Trillanes |
| Succeeded by | Panfilo Lacson |
| Chair of theSenate Peace, Unification and Reconciliation Committee | |
| In office July 25, 2016 – November 20, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | TG Guingona |
| Succeeded by | Ronald dela Rosa |
| Chair of theSenate Agrarian Reform Committee | |
| In office July 26, 2010 – June 30, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Francis Pangilinan |
| Succeeded by | Alan Peter Cayetano |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gregorio Ballesteros Honasan II (1948-03-14)March 14, 1948 (age 77) Baguio,Mountain Province, Philippines |
| Party | Reform PH (since 2024) |
| Other political affiliations | UNA (2012–2021) Independent (until 2012; 2021–2024) |
| Spouse | Jane Umali |
| Relations | Barbie Almalbis (daughter-in-law) |
| Children | 5, includingKai[1][2] |
| Residence | Manila |
| Alma mater | Philippine Military Academy (BS) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Soldier |
| Civilian awards | Presidential Government Medal |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Philippines |
| Branch/service | Philippine Army |
| Years of service | 1971–1989 |
| Rank |  Colonel |
| Battles/wars | Insurgency in the Philippines |
| Military awards | Distinguished Conduct Star |
Gregorio "Gringo" Ballesteros Honasan II ([hoˈnasan], born March 14, 1948),[3] is aFilipino politician and acashiered[4]Philippine Army officer who ledunsuccessful coups d'état against PresidentCorazon Aquino. He played a key role in the1986 EDSA Revolution that toppled PresidentFerdinand Marcos, and participated in theEDSA III rallies in 2001 that preceded theMay 1 riots nearMalacañang Palace.
After 1986, he led a series of unsuccessful but violent coup attempts against the administration ofCorazon Aquino. PresidentFidel Ramos granted him amnesty in 1992. He entered politics and became asenator from 1995 to 2004, and again from 2007 to 2019. He ran for vice president of the Philippines, beingJejomar Binay's running-mate in 2016, but both were respectively defeated byLeni Robredo andRodrigo Duterte.
On November 22, 2018, President Duterte appointed then-Senator Honasan as Secretary ofDepartment of Information and Communications Technology, which took effect after the latter's senatorial term,[5] withEliseo Rio serving as acting secretary. He established much digital policies that helped the Philippine ICT landscape.
Gregorio Honasan was born inBaguio to Colonel Romeo Gillego Honasan and Alicia "Alice" Masip Ballesteros, both fromSorsogon province.[6] He has six siblings.[3] Honasan spent his elementary days atSan Beda College from Kindergarten to Grade 6. After which, he went to Taiwan and studied at theDominican School, Taipei, Taiwan. He then returned to the Philippines and finished his high school atDon Bosco Technical College. He attained hisBachelor of Science degree at thePhilippine Military Academy, where he received the title of "Class Baron", the academy's highest leadership award.[6] Among his advisors at the academy wasVictor Corpus, whom he later credited with instilling the "radical thinking" of him and his batchmates.[7]
After graduating in 1971, he joined thePhilippine Army'sspecial forces,1st Scout Ranger Regiment and went into combat against separatist and communist insurgents inLuzon andMindanao. He was wounded in action at battles inLebak andJolo.[6] Making his way up through the armed forces, he becameaide-de-camp to Defense MinisterJuan Ponce Enrile in 1974, and later became the Defense Ministry's Chief of Security.
Concurrent with his position as security chief, he was a board member of the Northern Mindanao Development Bank and president of the Beatriz Marketing Company.[8]
In 1986, Honasan and a cabal of colonels, backed by Enrile, tried to use popular unrest to overthrow thedictatorship of PresidentFerdinand Marcos.[9] When the plot was uncovered, the conspirators sought refuge in the military headquarters and called on civilians, the media, and theCatholic Church for protection. Hundreds of thousands of people served as human shields to protect Honasan and his men from Marcos' forces, sparking the 1986People Power Revolution that led to Marcos' fall from power and the installation ofCorazon Aquino as president.
Aquino awarded Honasan a Distinguished Conduct Star for the EDSA Revolution and the Presidential Government Medal in 1986. Under the new government, he was head of a special group in the defense ministry. Using his position, he was covertly involved in various coup attempts against Aquino.[9]
OnAugust 28, 1987, fighting broke out in the streets and Honasan ordered his men to attack government installations, resulting in the deaths of dozens, including many civilians. The attack was put down by government forces, but Honasan was able to escape. He was later captured and imprisoned on a Navy ship inManila Bay. He later escaped once again by convincing his guards to join his cause.[9]
Philippine PresidentFidel Ramos, who was elected in 1992, grantedamnesty to Honasan, who utilized his rebel infamy to enter politics in 1995, becoming the second independent candidate in Philippine history to win a seat in theSenate afterMagnolia Antonino. He was re-elected in 2001, filling the vacant seat left by SenatorTeofisto Guingona Jr., who was appointed by PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo asVice President. From April 25 to May 1, 2001, together withJuan Ponce Enrile,Miriam Defensor Santiago,Panfilo Lacson andVicente Sotto III, he spoke at theEDSA III protests in support of deposed PresidentJoseph Estrada.[10][11] On May 1, 2001, the protesters stormedMalacañang Palace.[11]
He left the Senate when his term expired in 2004. In thegeneral election held in May 2007, he was again elected to the Senate. Running as anindependent candidate, he polled some 11.6 million votes, finishing 10th out of 37 candidates for 12 Senate vacancies. He took up his post on June 30. He was reelected during the2013 elections, placing 12th with 13,211,424 votes, his fourth term.[citation needed]
During the2016 Philippine general elections, Honasan wasJejomar Binay's running mate under theUnited Nationalist Alliance party. Honasan placed 6th in the vice presidential race, garnering only 788,881 or 1.92% of votes.[12]
In 2017, theSandiganbayan anti-corruption court ordered the arrest of Honasan over allegations of graft connected to thepork barrel scam.[13]
On November 22, 2018, President Duterte appointed Honasan as secretary ofDepartment of Information and Communications Technology. Acting SecretaryEliseo Rio Jr. held the position until the end of Honasan's Senate term. Honasan was sworn into the office on July 1, 2019,[14] and confirmed by theCommission on Appointments on September 11, 2019.[15]
In January 2020, the Department was flagged by theCommission on Audit of the Philippines for₱300 million worth of cash advances of confidential funds under Honasan. Undersecretary of Operations Eliseo Rio Jr. also questioned the cash advances as he resigned from his position.[16] Secretary Honasan and Undersecretary Rio later issued a joint statement to state that the confidential expenses were "lawful and legitimate" and that "Undersecretary Rio's resignation was due to personal reasons, and not due to any rift with the Secretary, nor to any anomaly in the Confidential Expense."[17]
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On October 8, 2021, Honasan filed his certificate of candidacy to run for senator in2022, effectively ending his time as Secretary of Information and Communications Technology. His candidacy was endorsed by PresidentRodrigo Duterte, making him part of thePDP–Laban senatorial slate, although he was an independent.[18] He was also named to the senatorial slate of tickets led by presidential aspirantsPanfilo Lacson andBongbong Marcos (underUniTeam), respectively.[19][20] However, he lost his bid with 10,668,886 votes, ranking 18th out of the 12 seats up for election. He conceded from the race on May 11, 2022.[21]
On October 7, 2024, Honasan filed his certificate of candidacy to run for senator in2025, this time underReform PH Party.[22] However, he lost once again, placing 28th.
| Year | Office | Party | Votes received | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | P. | Swing | |||||
| 1995 | Senator of the Philippines | IND | 8,968,616 | 34.85% | 9th | N/a | Won | |
| 2001 | 10,454,527 | 35.47% | 13th[a] | +0.62 | Won | |||
| 2007 | 11,605,531 | 39.34% | 10th | +3.87 | Won | |||
| 2013 | UNA | 13,211,424 | 32.91% | 12th | -6.43 | Won | ||
| 2022 | IND | 10,643,491 | 19.16% | 18th | -13.75 | Lost | ||
| 2025 | RP | 6,700,772 | 11.68% | 28th | -7.48 | Lost | ||
| 2016 | Vice President of the Philippines | UNA | 788,881 | 1.92% | 6th | N/a | Lost | |
In April 2024, lawyer and film producer Ferdinand Topacio announced plans for a biographical film about Honasan titledGringo: The Greg Honasan Story to be directed by Lester Dimaranan, with SenatorRobin Padilla later cast as Honasan; Padilla had previously portrayed him in the 1994 action filmCol. Billy Bibit, RAM.[23][24][25]
On June 10, 2024, Honasan and other colleagues in Magdalo and the RAM established the Reform PH party inSan Juan, Metro Manila.[26]
| Senate of the Philippines | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Chair of thePhilippine Senate Agrarian Reform Committee 2010–2016 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Majority Floor Leader of the Senate of the Philippines Acting 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Chair of thePhilippine Senate National Defense and Security Committee 2016–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of thePhilippine Senate Peace, Unification and Reconciliation Committee 2016–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Secretary of Information and Communications Technology 2019–2021 | Succeeded by Jose Arturo De Castro OIC |
Senatorial history of Gregorio Honasan II | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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