Jose de Venecia Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jose de Venecia Jr.
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de Venecia in 2017
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| 15th Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives | |
| In office July 23, 2001 – February 5, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Feliciano Belmonte Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Prospero Nograles |
| In office July 27, 1992 – June 30, 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Ramon Mitra Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Manny Villar |
| Member of the House of Representatives from Pangasinan | |
| In office June 30, 2001 – June 30, 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Benjamin Lim |
| Succeeded by | Gina de Venecia |
| Constituency | 4th district |
| In office June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Antonio Villar Sr. |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Lim |
| Constituency | 4th district |
| In office December 30, 1969 – September 23, 1972 |
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| Preceded by | Jack Laureano Soriano |
| Succeeded by | District abolished (next held by Antonio Bengson III) |
| Constituency | 2nd district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 26, 1936 Dagupan, Pangasinan, Commonwealth of the Philippines |
| Political party | Lakas (1991–2008; 2020–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Independent (2008–2020) LDP (1988–1991) Lakas ng Bansa (1987–1988) Liberal (1969–1987) |
| Spouses | Victoria Perez (divorced) Georgina Vera-Perez |
| Residences | Dagupan, Philippines |
| Alma mater | Ateneo de Manila University (BA) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Journalist |
Jose Claveria de Venecia Jr. (born December 26, 1936), also known by his nicknames JDV or Manong Joe, is a Filipino politician. He was the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines for five terms. This made him one of the most powerful leaders in the country.
De Venecia was the leader of the Lakas–CMD political party. In 1998, he ran for president but finished in second place behind Joseph Estrada.
Starting in 1987, he was elected six times to represent the 4th district of Pangasinan in Congress. On February 5, 2008, a majority of representatives voted to remove him as Speaker. He is the only Filipino to have been elected Speaker five separate times.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jose de Venecia Jr. was born in Dagupan, Pangasinan. His family was well-known in politics. His grandfather, Guillermo de Venecia, was the town mayor. His father, Jose R. de Venecia Sr., was a judge.
He was a bright student and finished elementary school a year early. He went to high school at De La Salle College. He later studied journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University, where he was a top editor for the school's newspaper and yearbook.
Before entering politics, de Venecia was a successful businessman. In the 1970s, he helped create jobs for Filipinos in other countries, especially in the Middle East and North Africa. His companies hired over 50,000 Filipinos. He also started projects to search for oil and gas, which led to important discoveries near Palawan.
From 1966 to 1969, he worked as a diplomat for the Philippines. He created a program to help Filipino workers abroad send money back home to their families.
First Term as Speaker (1992–1998)
In 1992, Fidel V. Ramos was elected president. Since Ramos won with only a small portion of the total vote, de Venecia helped him form a "Rainbow Coalition." This brought together different political parties to create a strong majority in the House of Representatives. This support helped de Venecia get elected as the Speaker of the House. He was re-elected as both a congressman and the Speaker in 1995.
Working for Peace
As Speaker, de Venecia acted as a peace envoy for President Ramos. He worked to make peace with several rebel groups. These included the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Mindanao and military rebels.
He traveled to Libya to meet with leaders like Muammar al-Gaddafi and MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari. These talks helped lead to a peace agreement signed in 1996. He also held secret talks with military rebels, which resulted in a final peace agreement in 1995. In 1997, he met with leaders of the New People's Army (NPA) in the Netherlands to discuss peace.
1998 Presidential Campaign
In 1998, de Venecia ran for president. He was the candidate for the ruling Lakas party. In the election, he came in second out of eleven candidates. The winner was the Vice President at the time, Joseph Estrada. After the election, de Venecia took a break from politics.
Return to Politics
De Venecia returned to public life in 2001. He called for a peaceful transfer of power to Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo after President Estrada was removed from office during the Second EDSA Revolution.
Second Term as Speaker (2001–2008)
In the 2001 election, de Venecia won his seat as congressman for Pangasinan's 4th District. He was then elected Speaker of the House for a third time. He was re-elected as Speaker again in 2004 after helping President Arroyo win her election campaign. This was his fourth time as Speaker.
Disagreement Over a Government Project
In 2007, a major disagreement arose over a government project with a Chinese company called ZTE. The project was for a national broadband network. De Venecia's son, Jose de Venecia III, questioned the deal. He said his own company could do the project for a lower price. This caused tension between Speaker de Venecia and the government of President Arroyo.
Re-election and Removal as Speaker
Despite the controversy, de Venecia was elected Speaker for a fifth time in July 2007. However, his relationship with President Arroyo's allies had weakened.
On February 4, 2008, a motion was made to declare the Speaker's position vacant. Before the vote, de Venecia gave a speech. He criticized President Arroyo and said her government was trying to remove him. He spoke about how he had always supported her in the past.
A large majority, 174 representatives, voted to remove him as Speaker. Prospero Nograles was elected as the new Speaker of the House.
Life After the Speakership
After being removed as Speaker, de Venecia resigned as president of the Lakas-CMD party. He remained active in public life. In 2010, he traveled to the United States to speak to Filipinos living there. He praised them for sending billions of dollars home each year, calling them "heroes and heroines of the Filipino people."
In 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed de Venecia as a Special Envoy for Inter-Cultural Dialogue. His role was to advise the government on cultural diversity. In 2020, he rejoined the Lakas–CMD party.
Personal Life
De Venecia was first married to Victoria Perez. They had four children: Alexandra, Leslie, Vivian, and Jose III (Joey). The marriage ended in divorce.
He later married Georgina Vera-Perez, also known as Manay Gina. They have two children, Christopher and Kristina Casimira (KC).
In December 2004, a tragic fire broke out in the de Venecia family home in Makati. The fire was started by Christmas lights. Their 16-year-old daughter, KC, was trapped inside and died. Her ashes were buried at a chapel in Makati.
Legacy
In January 2025, the "Jose de Venecia Jr. Building and Museum" was opened at the Batasang Pambansa Complex, the home of the House of Representatives. The ceremony was led by Speaker Martin Romualdez to honor de Venecia's long service.
