Leonardo B. Perez | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Senator of the Philippines | |
| In office December 30, 1967 – September 23, 1972 | |
| Member of thePhilippine House of Representatives fromNueva Vizcaya'slone district | |
| In office June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1995 | |
| Preceded by | Carlos Padilla |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Padilla |
| In office July 23, 1984 – March 25, 1986 | |
| Preceded by | District reestablished |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Padilla |
| In office December 30, 1953 – December 30, 1967 | |
| Preceded by | León Cabarroguis |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin B. Perez |
| Chairman of the Commission on Elections | |
| In office May 29, 1973 – May 17, 1980 | |
| Appointed by | Ferdinand Marcos |
| Preceded by | Jaime Ferrer |
| Succeeded by | Vicente Santiago Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Leonardo Balagot Perez (1925-11-22)November 22, 1925 Bauang,La Union,Philippine Islands |
| Died | June 16, 2007(2007-06-16) (aged 81) Quezon City, Philippines |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Political party | NPC (1992-1995) |
| Other political affiliations | KBL (1984-1986) Nacionalista (1953-1972) |
| Alma mater | University of the Philippines |
| Awards |  Purple Heart |
Leonardo Balagot Perez (November 22, 1925 – June 16, 2007) was a Filipino politician who served as a member of thePhilippine House of Representatives on behalf of the province ofNueva Vizcaya. He was a member of theSenate of the Philippines, and served in the cabinet of PresidentFerdinand Marcos.
Leonardo Perez was born on November 22, 1925, in barangay Paringao inBauang,La Union. He was the eldest of five children of Mariano Perez and Juliana Balagot. At a young age, Perez moved with his family to Nueva Vizcaya, where he completed his primary and secondary education. During theSecond World War, Perez was active in theunderground resistance. He gathered intelligence and was involved in the construction of an airstrip inIfugao for the supply of ammunition.[1] He was wounded during the Battle of Hapid inKiangan and was later awarded thePurple Heart.[1] After the war he studied law at theUniversity of the Philippines, graduating cum laude in 1951.[citation needed]
Perez served as Secretary of the Provincial Board of Nueva Vizcaya from 1952 to 1953.[1] In 1953, he was elected as delegate of Nueva Vizcaya to the House of Representatives. He was re-elected in subsequent elections in 1957, 1961 and 1965.[2] During the 1965 elections, Perez was also the official spokesman forFerdinand Marcos during the latter's successful presidential election campaign againstDiosdado Macapagal. From 1966 to 1967, he served as First Assistant Majority Floor Leader of the House. During his congressional career, he served as Chairman of the Committees on Anti-Filipino Activities, and Privileges and Election Law and authored Republic Act 4735, which established the municipality ofAmbaguio from the provincial capital ofBayombong, in 1966.[3]
In 1967, Perez was elected to the Senate of the Philippines, where he served as the Chairman of the Committee on National Defense and Security and the Vice Chairman of the Committees on Investigation (Blue Ribbon) and National Minorities, and authored Republic Act No. 6388, otherwise known as “the Election Code of 1971”.[1] He also authored Republic Act 6394, paving the way for the separation of six municipalities of Nueva Vizcaya to create the province ofQuirino in 1971,[4] and sponsored Republic Acts 6372 which split the town of Dupax in Nueva Vizcaya into two municipalities, namelyDupax del Norte andDupax del Sur.[5] However, his term ended prematurely when Congress was closed in 1972 by Marcos, shortly after the declaration ofmartial law.
In February 1973, Perez was appointed presidential troubleshooter and in May he was appointed chairman of theCommission on Elections (COMELEC). During his tenure, he oversaw several electoral exercises during the Martial Law era such as theJuly 1973 constitutional referendum, the1975 presidential referendum, the1976 constitutional referendum, the1977 presidential referendum, and the1978 elections for the Interim Batasang Pambansa. In 1980, he retired as chairman after completing his term.[6]
Perez joined Marcos' cabinet from 1981 to 1984 as Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs and was therefore a concurrent member of theInterim Batasang Pambansa. In 1984, he was elected to theRegular Batasang Pambansa representing Nueva Vizcaya after a bitterly disputed campaign marred by allegations of fraud.[7] He served until the dissolution of the body in 1986 following Marcos' fall in theEDSA Revolution.
In 1987, Perez ran again for the Senate as a candidate of Marcos'Kilusang Bagong Lipunan party inelections held in May[8] but lost.
Perez returned as elected representative of Nueva Vizcaya in the House of Representatives in the1992 elections. Among his notable legislation during that time was his successful lobbying for the renationalization of the Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Hospital inBayombong in March 1995 and its renaming as theVeterans Regional Hospital.[9] After the end of his term in June 1995,[10] he retired from politics.[citation needed]
Perez died at theNational Kidney and Transplant Institute on June 16, 2007[1] at the age of 81 from kidney disease.[citation needed]
Perez' brother, Benjamin, served as Congressman of Nueva Vizcaya from 1969 to 1972 and was elected as an Assemblyman forRegion II (Cagayan Valley) in the Interim Batasang Pambansa from 1978 to 1984. His son, Leonardo Jr., became a member of theNueva Vizcaya Provincial Board and ran unsuccessfully forVice Governor in 1998[11] andGovernor in 2004.[12]