Aquilino Pimentel Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr.
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Pimentel at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in November 2018
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| 19th President of the Senate of the Philippines | |
| In office November 13, 2000 – June 30, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Franklin Drilon |
| Succeeded by | Franklin Drilon |
| Senate Majority Leader | |
| In office June 3, 2002 – July 23, 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Loren Legarda |
| Succeeded by | Loren Legarda |
| Senate Minority Leader | |
| In office July 26, 2004 – June 30, 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Vicente Sotto III |
| Succeeded by | Alan Peter Cayetano |
| In office July 23, 2001 – June 3, 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Tito Guingona |
| Succeeded by | Vicente Sotto III |
| Senator of the Philippines | |
| In office June 30, 1998 – June 30, 2010 |
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| In office June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1992 |
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| Minister/Secretary of the Interior and Local Government | |
| In office March 25, 1986 – December 7, 1986 |
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| President | Corazon Aquino |
| Preceded by | Jose Roño |
| Succeeded by | Jaime Ferrer |
| Assemblyman from Cagayan de Oro | |
| In office June 30, 1984 – March 25, 1986 |
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| Mayor of Cagayan de Oro | |
| In office June 30, 1980 – June 30, 1984 |
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| Preceded by | Pedro N. Roa |
| Succeeded by | Pablo P. Magtajas |
| 1971 Constitutional Convention Delegate from Misamis Oriental | |
| In office June 1, 1971 – September 23, 1972 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Aquilino Quilinging Pimentel Jr.
December 11, 1933 Claveria, Misamis Oriental, Philippine Islands |
| Died | October 20, 2019 (aged 85) Metro Manila, Philippines |
| Resting place | The Heritage Park, Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines |
| Political party |
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| Spouse |
Lourdes de la Llana
(m. 1960) |
| Children | 6 including Aquilino Pimentel III |
| Parents |
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| Residence | Cagayan de Oro |
| Alma mater | Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan |
| Occupation | Civil servant |
| Profession | Politician |
Aquilino Quilinging Pimentel Jr. (born December 11, 1933 – died October 20, 2019), often known as Nene Pimentel, was a Filipino politician and human rights lawyer. He was a brave leader who stood up against the government of Ferdinand Marcos from 1972 until the People Power Revolution in 1986. This revolution helped remove Marcos from power. Nene Pimentel helped start the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP–Laban) political party. He also served as the President of the Senate of the Philippines from 2000 to 2001. His son, Aquilino Pimentel III, is also a senator and a former Senate President.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Nene Pimentel was born on December 11, 1933. His parents were Aquilino "Aquio" E. Pimentel Sr. and Petra Quilinging. He married Lourdes "Bing" de la Llana on April 30, 1960. They had six children together, including Aquilino Pimentel III.
Political Journey
Joining the 1971 Constitutional Convention
In 1971, Nene Pimentel became well-known when he was chosen to be a delegate for the Constitutional Convention. This meeting was meant to write a new constitution for the Philippines. However, President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in September 1972. Pimentel and others worried that the new constitution would only serve Marcos's interests.
Pimentel spoke out against parts of the constitution that he felt were unfair to the people. Because of his strong opposition, he was arrested in early 1973 and held in jail for three months. Despite the difficulties, he remained firm. When the new constitution was ready to be signed, Pimentel was one of the few delegates who bravely refused to sign it. After his release, he worked as a lawyer for a Catholic organization helping with social action.
Fighting for Fair Elections in 1978
In April 1978, Pimentel ran for a position in the Interim Batasan elections as part of the Laban party. This party was led by Benigno S. Aquino Jr.. However, candidates from Marcos's party won almost all the seats. Pimentel and other opposition leaders strongly protested, saying there was a lot of cheating.
Pimentel was arrested again for leading a protest against what he called unfair elections. He had spoken out against Marcos trying to create a government that would simply agree with him. Pimentel was jailed for two months. Even after his second time in prison, he continued to fight for freedom and honest elections.
Mayor of Cagayan de Oro
In January 1980, Marcos allowed local elections. Pimentel decided to run for mayor of Cagayan de Oro. His wife, Bing, said they started his campaign with very little money. But many people in Cagayan de Oro believed in him and helped his campaign. Pimentel won the election by a large margin against Marcos's chosen candidate. He and his team also won all the other local positions.
However, Pimentel's time as mayor was not easy. In 1981, while he was in the United States for training, the election commission removed him from office. They said he had switched political parties too many times. This made the people of Cagayan de Oro very angry.
Thousands of his supporters held peaceful protests to show their support for Pimentel. This was one of the first times "People Power" was shown against Marcos's rule. Pimentel's lawyers argued that the election commission had no right to remove him and that the people's choice should be respected. To calm the situation, Marcos allowed Pimentel to return as mayor while the Supreme Court decided the case.
In 1983, Pimentel was arrested again while in Cebu City. He was accused of rebellion. His family was very worried because they didn't know where he was being held. People from Cagayan de Oro and other parts of the country visited him in detention to support him. Pimentel denied the accusations and was later released. When he returned home, thousands of his supporters greeted him at the pier. He was later placed under house arrest for almost seven months.
Serving as Assemblyman
Even while under house arrest, Pimentel stayed active in national politics. He helped unite the opposition and continued to run the city. He also ran for and won a seat as an assemblyman in the Batasang Pambansa in 1984. However, the Marcos government removed him from this position, claiming he had cheated in the elections.
Pimentel was a strong critic of Marcos's rule. He often appeared with Cory Aquino, the widow of Marcos's main rival, Ninoy Aquino, who was assassinated in 1983. They worked together to rally the opposition. At one point, Cory Aquino even asked Pimentel to be her running mate for president. However, he stepped aside when another political leader was chosen instead.
After the People Power Revolution in 1986, President Aquino appointed Pimentel as Minister of Local Government. He had the difficult job of changing the government structure left by Marcos. He worked to remove corruption and create a fresh start for the new government.
Senator (1987–1992)
First Term: 1987–1992
Pimentel was elected as a Senator from 1987 to 1992. During this time, he wrote and supported several important laws. One of his most significant achievements was authoring the Local Government Code of 1991. This law gave more power and responsibility to local government units, allowing them to manage their own affairs better. He also supported laws like the Cooperative Code and the Generic Drugs Act.
On September 16, 1991, Nene Pimentel was one of the "Magnificent 12" senators who voted against extending the treaty that allowed U.S. military bases in the Philippines. This was a very important decision for the country's independence.
Return to the Senate (1998–2010)
In 1998, Pimentel successfully ran for another term in the Senate of the Philippines, serving from 1998 to 2004. He was re-elected in 2004, getting a very high number of votes.
Senate President (2000–2001)
In November 2000, Pimentel became the President of the Senate of the Philippines. In December 2000, a case was filed in the Senate to remove President Joseph Estrada from office. On January 16, 2001, Pimentel was among those who voted to open a sealed bank envelope that was part of the evidence. When their vote was not enough, some senators protested. President Estrada was later removed from office by the second EDSA People Power Revolution. Pimentel served as Senate President until June 2001.
Before leaving the Senate, Pimentel gave a speech asking the American government and a museum in Chicago to return the Golden Tara to the Philippines. This is a very important historical artifact for the country.
Blue Ribbon Committee Chair
As the head of the Senate's Blue Ribbon Committee, Pimentel was responsible for investigating corruption in the government. He recommended that officials from past administrations be prosecuted for misusing public funds. He also investigated allegations of illegal gambling activities. As Chair of the Committee on Local Government, he worked to make local governments stronger and more effective.
Pimentel was also the president and founder of the PDP–Laban party. In 2008, he proposed a bill to change the Philippines into a federal system. This would give more power to different regions of the country.
Life After the Senate
Nene Pimentel left the Senate on June 30, 2010, after serving three terms. He remained active in politics, acting as an elder statesman. He continued to speak out against unfair rule, human rights abuses, and the Marcos family.
He was a strong supporter of federalism in the Philippines. He suggested dividing the Philippines into several states, with more power given to each region. He also thought there should be two self-governing regions within the proposed Bangsamoro federal state, to respect the different cultures of Muslim groups.
Politically Active Family
Nene Pimentel's son, Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, also became a Senator. Koko served as Senate President from 2016 to 2018. Nene Pimentel supported President Rodrigo Duterte during his election campaign.
Passing Away
On October 14, 2019, Pimentel was admitted to the hospital due to difficulty breathing from pneumonia. His family announced that he was very ill.
On October 20, 2019, Senator Koko Pimentel announced that his father had passed away at 5 a.m. He was 85 years old. Nene Pimentel's remains were laid to rest at The Heritage Park in Taguig, Metro Manila.
