Senator Gregorio Ballesteros Honasan II

Biography
Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan has not only made his mark in this country; he is also an inspiration to people in other parts of the world. For those who remembered the 1986 EDSA Revolution, he was that battle-hardened hero who helped restore democracy in the country. For his comrades in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, he was that defiant colonel who fought for reforms within the Armed Forces of the Philippines. For his junior officers, he is their father figure and their mentor. For his family and friends, he is the eloquent, gentle-mannered soldier with a compassionate heart. For his opponents, Gringo Honasan is a formidable advocate of healthy diversity in a democracy. For the younger generation who did not witness the Gringo Honasan of 1986, he is the dashing, medal-bearing soldier and senator who has lent his face to a new brand of politics--- one that is pro- people and pro- change.

Gringo Honasan is indeed a man of many colors. Yet, friends and foes must equally agree: the man behind the legend is one who knows how to stand his ground when right, and to fight against what is wrong. Gringo Honasan is a staunch advocate for reforms, a gallant opponent of corruption, and a fighter for freedom.

His Early Years

Born on March 14, 1948 in Baguio City to Colonel Romeo Honasan and Alice Ballesteros, a very young Gringo became one of the eagle scouts chosen to attend the 11th International Scout Jamboree at Marathon, Greece in 1963. He could not go because a typhoon had damaged a significant portion of their house and his family's finances were severely limited. This was the very Philippine contingent that was aboard the plane that crashed in India. A monument honoring those who perished in this crash stands today in Quezon City.

Gringo Honasan spent his elementary years in the Dominican School in Taipei, Taiwan. He graduated with an Honorable Mention in Don Bosco High School in Mandaluyong. At first, he wanted to become a doctor. After learning, however, that his expensive dream of a medical education would mean no college education for his other siblings, he instead chose to take up Bachelor of Science with a degree of Economics at the University of the Philippines. After two years in U.P., he went to the Philippine Military Academy, where he attained the title of a "Class Baron," the institution's highest leadership award. Subsequently, he took up a Masters Degree in Business Management at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and finished the course with distinction.

His Family Life

Gringo married Jane Cabale Umali, and became a loving father to children Kim Francis, Kit Martin, Karel Paolo, Klarina Fatima and Klarisa Rosario. He is a devoted husband to his wife and is - as his children attest - "a good man, and a great father!"

Away from the Senate halls, he quietly tends to the home's backyard garden where he takes care of numerous bonsai plants and dwarf fruit-bearing trees. He also dabbles in designing and crafting wooden furniture and sculptures. It is said that he learned 15-20 different recipes to cook mongo and sardines while he was underground.

His Military and Corporate Life

In 1971, right after his graduation from the PMA, he joined the 1st Home Defense Group (Airborne) of the Philippine Army and went into combat duties. From 1972 until 1974, he was with the 1st Composite Infantry Battalion of the AFP in Mindanao. For his gallantry in the battles of Lebak, Jolo and Zamboanga, he was awarded by then President Corazon Aquino three (3) Gold Cross Medals. In the Lebak encounter, he was seriously wounded in battle after he refused to leave his men on the field. He spent days in and out of consciousness and, as he came to, the first thing he uttered was a roll-call of his men, wanting to know how each were doing.

His relationship with his subordinates and colleagues, be they military or civilian has been more than ideal. In fact, when he was wounded in an ambush site in Mindanao, his squad formed a human shield around him so that the enemy's bullets could not hit him. His friend and "mistah", Col. Red Kapunan then went back, against orders, to rescue him aboard a helicopter. Senator Honasan has made it a moral obligation on his part to take care of the families left behind by his subordinates who formed the human shield. This act of self-sacrifice on their part has only underscored the fact that they know he would do the same for them as he had done in Lebak.

He served as aide- de- camp to then Secretary of National Defense Juan Ponce Enrile in 1974 until he became the Ministry of National Defense's Chief of Security in 1981. His bravery and heroism in the military service bagged him the award as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) of the Philippines in 1985.

As a young officer, he became one of the earliest anti- drug fighters in the country; intercepting a major shipment of heroin worth US$6.7 million destined for the United States. His campaign against economic saboteurs led to the busting of a major dollar- salting syndicate.

He was also a Board Member of the Northern Mindanao Development Bank and a President of the Beatriz Marketing Company from 1983- 1986. In 1986 until 1987, he was the Commandant of the Special Operations School of the Philippine Army Command in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija.

His Role During the 1986 People Power Revolution

It was in 1986 that Honasan became a household name. As the Chief of Security of the Ministry of National Defense, he led a pivotal role in the restoration of democracy and in installing Corazon Aquino to the seat of presidency. He and his close friends and classmates first initiated the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM).

His Life After the EDSA Revolution

After the EDSA Revolution, he was awarded by President Aquino a Distinguished Conduct Star for the EDSA Revolution and the Presidential Government Medal. Under the Aquino government, he was head of a special group in the defense ministry. There were several offers for him in terms of government positions and financially lucrative positions but he flatly refused them. Not content with the way the new government was being run and its failure to address the problems on corruption, poverty and education, he got involved in two coup d' etat attempts against the Aquino government.

He was subsequently captured and imprisoned in a navy ship. He escaped with the help of his own prison guards and went underground.

His Life as a Senator

When Fidel Ramos gained the Presidency in 1992, Gringo Honasan was granted amnesty and became a Senator in 1995, the first independent candidate in Philippine history to win a seat in the Senate. He was re- elected in 2001 and his term expired in 2004. As a senator, he was an unswerving advocate for the environment, social reforms and national security.

He is the Principal Author of the Clean Air Act which was passed into law in 2000. It was just first among a series of environmental bills he had filed and would have wanted to pass. He co-authored the Solid Waste Management Act which eventually was also passed into law.

Aside from his environmental bills, included in his priority legislation are the National Land Use Code which would serve as a blueprint for the prioritization and utilization of the country's land and resources. Through this law, agricultural lands will be protected from industrial activities as well as residential conversions. Environmentally protected lands and indigenous peoples' ancestral lands will also be clearly delineated and protected. It will lead to an inventory for the utilization of our resources, a vital factor in economic growth.

The National Security Code seeks to bring to date various aspects of National Security protection as our present code dates back to the late years of the 1900s and can be deemed ineffective in the light of present-day global circumstances.

In his years in the Senate halls, he never forgot the men and women of the Military and the Police forces. He pushed for the increase in their basic pay, as well as filed and fought for bills that would give their families additional benefits like scholarships and pension funds.

He will push for the implementation of a Mindanao Aid Plan designed to resuscitate the devastated area. It is time that Mindanao receives the attention and growth it deserves. He also plans to push for a Disaster Awareness, Preparedness and Mitigation law that will address the cyclical problems brought about by natural disasters that our country is geographically prone to.