Fernando "Nanding" Hofileña Lopez Sr. (April 13, 1904May 26, 1993) was a Filipino statesman. A member of the influential López family of Iloilo, he served as

vice president of the Philippines The vice president of the Philippines (, also referred to as ) is the second-highest official in the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the first in the presidential line of succession. The vice president is directly elect ...

under Presidents

Elpidio Quirino Elpidio Rivera Quirino (; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Philippine nationality law, Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 6th President of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953. A lawyer by profession, Quirino entered p ...

from 1949 to 1953 under the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

and

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...

from 1965 to 1972, under the

Nacionalista Party The Nacionalista Party (Filipino language, Filipino and Spanish language in the Philippines, Spanish: ''Partido Nacionalista''; , NP) is a political party in the Philippines which is the oldest existing party in the country and in Southeast Asi ...

. He was also the chairman of

ABS-CBN Corporation ABS-CBN Corporation is a Mass media in the Philippines, Filipino Media conglomerate, media company based in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the largest entertainment television and film production, Broadcast syndication, progra ...

from 1986 to his death in 1993.

Early life and career

Lopez was born on April 13, 1904, in Jaro, Iloilo City to Benito Villanueva Lopez and Presentacion Javelona Hofileña. He was the younger brother and only sibling of Eugenio Lopez Sr. The Lopez family was the richest and most influential family in the province. Lopez studied high school at

Colegio de San Juan de Letran The Colegio de San Juan de Letran (), also referred to by its acronym CSJL, is a private Catholic coeducational basic and higher education institution owned and run by the friars of the Order of Preachers in Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. I ...

, finishing in 1921. He studied law in the

University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (UST; ), officially the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines or colloquially as ''Ustê'' (), is a Private university, private Catholic school, Catholic researc ...

, earning his

Bachelor of Laws A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

degree in 1925. After passing the bar examinations, he did not go into private practice, but helped his older brother manage the family business. In 1945, with no prior political experience, Lopez was chosen by President

Sergio Osmeña Sergio Osmeña Sr. (, ; zh, c=吳文釗, poj=Gô͘ Bûn-chiau; September 9, 1878 – October 19, 1961) was a Filipino people, Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the List of presidents of the Philippines, fourth president of the Ph ...

to be mayor of Iloilo City. In 1947, he ran for senator and won. Lopez was one of the founders of University of Iloilo and the FEATI University in

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

. The brothers Eugenio and Fernando owned the Iloilo-Negros Air Express Company (the first Filipino owned air service), the ''Iloilo Times'' (''El Tiempo''), the '' Manila Chronicle'', and

Vice-presidency

First term (1949–1953)

In 1949, Lopez became vice-president under President

and concurrently worked as secretary of agriculture, serving until 1953. He was then elected once again as senator, and re-elected in 1959.

Second and third term (1965–1972)

In 1965, Lopez ran with

and won as vice president. He was re-elected in 1969, making him to date the only vice president to serve two non-consecutive terms, with two different presidents and from different parties. By the time

martial law Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...

was declared in 1972, the Lopez family fell out of Marcos' favor and was targeted by the regime because of their denunciations of Marcos. The office of vice president was abolished, and the Lopez family was stripped of most of its political and economic assets.

Later life and death

After the removal of Marcos from power as a result of the

People Power Revolution The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, were a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...

of 1986, Lopez became chairman of FHL Investment Corporation and vice-chairman of First Philippine Holdings Corporation. He died on May 26, 1993, a month after his 89th birthday, leaving behind his wife Mariquit Javellana with whom he had six children: Yolanda, Fernando Jr. (Junjie), Alberto (Albertito), Emmanuele, Benito and Mita. He was the longest living vice president until he was surpassed by Teofisto Guingona Jr. in 2017.

Honors and awards

: The

Order of the Knights of Rizal The Knights of Rizal (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Orden de Caballeros de Rizál''; Filipino language, Filipino: ''Mga Maginoo ni Rizal''; sometimes abbreviated as KOR) is an order of chivalry of the Philippines, created to honor and uphold the ...

, Knight Grand Cross of Rizal (KGCR).

References