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Napoleon Rama

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In thisPhilippine name,themiddle nameor maternalfamily nameisGensonand the surname or paternal family name isRama.
The Honorable
Napoleon G. Rama
PLH
Vice President of the1971 Constitutional Convention
In office
1971–1972
Floor Leader of theConstitutional Commission
In office
1986–1987
Personal details
Born(1923-07-27)July 27, 1923
Cebu,Philippine Islands
DiedJanuary 10, 2016(2016-01-10)(aged 92)
Quezon City,Philippines
NationalityFilipino
Political partyLABAN
Relations
Parents
Alma materUniversity of San Carlos
Profession
  • Constitutional Commissioner
  • Lawyer
  • Journalist
  • Author
  • Writer
  • Publisher
  • Editor
  • Co-Founder of LABAN
  • Freedom Fighter
  • Hero

Napoleon"Nap"Genson Rama,PLH(July 27, 1923 – January 10, 2016) was aFilipinoVisayanlawyer, journalist, and writer inEnglishandSpanishfromCebu,Philippines.He was the Vice President of the1971 Constitutional Conventionand the Floor Leader of the1986 Constitutional Commission.In 2011, he was awarded thePhilippine Legion of Honor,the country's highest recognition, with the rank of Grand Commander on the 25th anniversary of theEDSA1 Revolution by PresidentBenigno S. Aquino III.

Early life[edit]

Napoleon Rama, son of statesmanVicente Ramaand Catalina Genson, was born on July 27, 1923. He married Paz Ramos and the couple had five children namely Liza Grace, Napoleon Jr., Ma. Gina Linda, Ma. Pamela and Ronald.[1][2]In college, he attended theUniversity of San Carlosand was the school paper's editor-in-chief,[3]and became a lawyer on January 26, 1952.[2]

Career[edit]

Journalism[edit]

A lawyer by profession, he represented Vicente Rubi's copyright case for the song "Kasadya ning Taknaa" that had a Tagalog version, "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit."[4]He wrote for thePhilippine Free Press,and his article "North Borneo Belongs To Us" was a landmark publication that was used by the Philippines as a basis to claimBorneo.Awarded "Journalist of the Year" in 1959, he worked for thePhiladelphia Bulletinin theUnited Statesand was the editor ofEl Observatorio,a Spanish newspaper in Cebu.[1]

Additionally, he was the publisher ofManila Bulletinand writer for its Sunday periodical,Philippine Panorama,starting in 1987 until his retirement at the age of 83 in 2007.

He also wrote the bookA Time in the Life of a Filipinowhich documented the administration of the latePresident Corazon Aquino,[5]and was the president of the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC) twice.[1]

As a political writer, he wrote various topics including investigative articles on tax declarations of elected officials, social problems, and stories ofmartial law.[3]He was also known to advocate for the use of English asmedium of instruction.[6]

Politics[edit]

He served as delegate and the Vice President of the 1971 Constitutional Convention[1][7]when it opened on June 1, 1971, and was part of the group that initiated Ban Marcos resolution that prohibitedFerdinand Marcosand his wifeImeldafrom being part of the Convention[2]and from being voted to any elective position, which failed to prosper in the convention.[8]

At the height of themartial law in the Philippines,he was incarcerated at theFort Bonifacio[2][9]in 1972.[3]Other personalities that were detained includedBenigno Aquino Jr.,Ramon Mitra Jr.,andFrancisco Rodrigo.[10]A petition forhabeas corpuswas filed on their behalf.[11]

Together with his friend Benigno Aquino Jr., he founded the political partyLakas ng Bayan(LABAN)[1]against the Marcos-backedKilusang Bagong Lipunan(KBL).[2]In 1978, he ran for theInterim Batasang Pambansaelections and lost as it was dominated by KBL candidates.

AfterEDSA revolution,he was appointed by thenPresident Corazon Aquinoas delegate of the Constitutional Commission that drafted the1987 Philippine Constitution[1]and became the commission's Floor Leader.[2]

Later years[edit]

He was awarded "Most Outstanding Alumnus of Universidad de San Carlos", the Ninoy Aquino Memorial Award in 1990, and the 1992Premio Zobel,the oldest Spanish literary award in the country.[1]During the 25th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution in 2011, then president Benigno Simeon Aquino conferred upon him thePhilippine Legion of Honorwith the rank of Grand Commander.[2][12] He succumbed to diabetes and pneumonia at St. Luke's Hospital inQuezon Cityand died on January 10, 2016.[3][8]

Awards and recognition[edit]

Publication[edit]

  • A Time in the Life of a Filipino(9 September 2008)

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdefgManila Bulletin Research (January 12, 2016)."Former Manila Bulletin publisher Napoleon G. Rama, 92".Retrieved2019-05-10– via PressReader.
  2. ^abcdefgOaminal, Clarence Paul (November 2, 2014)."Commissioner Napoleon G. Rama".Retrieved2019-05-22– via PressReader.
  3. ^abcd"Napoleon G. Rama: Fearless Cebuano journalist soars".Cebu Journalism & Journalists.2017-07-20.Retrieved2019-05-10.
  4. ^National Mid-week.Lagda Pub. Incorporated. 1988.
  5. ^Rama, Napoleon G. (1990).A time in the life of the Filipino.Ayala Foundation.ISBN9789718551066.
  6. ^Critical Thinking Through Reading and Writing' 2007 Ed. (dela Salle).Rex Bookstore, Inc.ISBN9789715555234.
  7. ^"Nap Rama on Ninoy Aquino | Presidential Museum and Library".Retrieved2019-05-22.
  8. ^abCuizon, Razel V. (2016-01-12)."Nap Rama, 92, dies in Manila hospital".Sunstar.Retrieved2019-05-22.
  9. ^Feria, Monica (22 September 2015)."Sept. 22-23, 1972: Our lives changed overnight".newsinfo.inquirer.net.Retrieved2019-05-22.
  10. ^"The Enrile cases".Manila Standard.Retrieved2019-05-22.
  11. ^"G.R. No. L-35546 September 17, 1974".Supreme Court; Republic of the Philippines.RetrievedMay 22,2019.
  12. ^"Briefer on the Philippine Legion of Honor | GOVPH".Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines.Retrieved2019-05-22.
  13. ^"Commissioner Napoleon G. Rama".The Philippine STAR.
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