Francisco Tatad

Francisco "Kit" Sarmiento Tatad (born October 4, 1939) is a Filipino journalist and politician best known for having served as Minister of Public Information under President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. from 1969 to 1980, and for serving as a Senator of the Philippines from 1992 to 2001.

Career

Upon his appointment by President Marcos, Tatad became the youngest member of Marcos' cabinet. During his term, he announced the declaration of martial law on September 23, 1972, just hours before Marcos himself came on the air. While serving as cabinet secretary, he concurrently became a member of the Batasang Pambansa.

During his service in the Philippines Senate, he served as Majority Floor Leader from 1996 to 1998 and again from 2000 to 2001. In 2001, he was one of the 11 senators who voted against opening an envelope that had been alleged to contain incriminating evidence against then Philippine President Joseph Estrada, inciting events that led to the EDSA Revolution of 2001.

Tatad ran again for senator under the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino of actor Fernando Poe Jr. in 2004 but lost. In 2007, he resigned from the governing board of the United Opposition as a protest against the party's decision to draft Alan Peter Cayetano, Joseph Victor Ejercito and Aquilino Pimentel III as its senatorial candidates due to issues of "dynasty-building", as the three have relatives already serving in the Senate. In 2010, he ran again for senator but lost, finishing only in the 27th place.

During the hearing on the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona on January 19, 2012, Tatad had a verbal confrontation with Senator-Judge Franklin Drilon, accusing him of acting like a part of the prosecution team. Drilon allegedly challenged him to disqualify him from participating in the proceedings."Drilon, Tatad clash over pro-prosecution controversy"
ABS-CBN News Online.

References

External links

List of Previous Senators

First Things First (Blog)

Kit Tatad - Bills Enacted into Law

PROFILE: Francisco "KIT" Sarmiento Tatad

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tatad, Francisco
1939 births
Living people
Bicolano politicians
Majority leaders of the Senate of the Philippines
Senators of the 11th Congress of the Philippines
Senators of the 10th Congress of the Philippines
Senators of the 9th Congress of the Philippines
Presidential spokespersons (Philippines)
Nationalist People's Coalition politicians
People from Catanduanes
People's Reform Party politicians
Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino politicians
Candidates in the 1998 Philippine vice-presidential election
University of Santo Tomas alumni
Ferdinand Marcos administration cabinet members
Members of the Batasang Pambansa