Jamby Madrigal

Early life and career

Jamby Madrigal was born in Manila, Philippines on April 26, 1958 to Antonio Madrigal (1921–2007) and Amanda Teopaco Abad Santos. She is the granddaughter of the former Supreme Court Chief Justice José Abad Santos of San Fernando, Pampanga. Her grand uncle – pre-Commonwealth Assemblyman Pedro Abad Santos – founded the Socialist Party of the Philippines.

Her paternal grandfather was billionaire businessman and Senator Vicente Lopez Madrigal of Ligao, Albay. Her aunt, Pacita Madrigal-Warns, was a Senator during the Quezon and Magsaysay administrations and was the first administrator of the Social Welfare Administration, the predecessor of today's Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Her late uncle and aunt were former Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Manuel Collantes and heiress Consuelo "Chito" Madrigal.

In addition to her work for her numerous foundations, in 2003 she has become spokesperson for the youth-based Kontra Pulitika Movement (KPM), which champions education, protection of the environment and economic empowerment through livelihood programs.

She has acted in a movie on the life of Luis Taruc, the Kapampangan founder of the Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa mga Hapon (Hukbalahap). Ka Luis was the protégé of her grandfather and great uncle, the Abad Santos brothers. In the film, ‘Anak Pawis’, she portrays her grandmother, Amanda Teopaco.

Political career

In October 1999, President Joseph Estrada created the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Children's Affairs and Jamby to head this office. She organized the First National Summit for Children in Malacañang Palace on October 26, 2001 where government agencies, local government units, industry leaders and non-government organizations signed a declaration of commitment upholding Child 21 – a framework on which to anchor all action plans and strategies relating to children. She traveled nationwide coordinating the agency's feeding and educational programs. She became concerned over the fate of teachers and school children who were taken hostage by the Abu Sayyaf terrorists in 2001. After consultation with the victims themselves, she sought the help of clinical psychologists from Ateneo de Manila University and Ateneo de Zamboanga University.

Madrigal was elected to the Senate n 2004 and was chairman of four Senate committees: Environment; Youth, Women and Family Relations; Peace, Unification and Reconciliation; and Cultural Communities.

In an opposition protest, Madrigal was one of the political leaders who were subjected to the Manila Police water cannons while attending a religious procession on October 14, 2005.

Madrigal declared her candidacy for president in the 2010 presidential elections. During the race, Madrigal launched many allegations of corruption against fellow Senator Manny Villar, who was also running. Over the course of the campaign, Madrigal brought out "700 pages of evidence" to prove that Villar had "realigned C-5 (a main Metro Manila thoroughfare) to pass by [Villar's] real estate developments so that [Villar] would be paid for right of way."

Personal life

She married Frenchman Eric Jean Claude Dudoignon Valade on December 7, 2002 at the Calatagan, Batangas farm estate of her aunt, Doña Consuelo "Chito" Madrigal-Collantes.

In May 2008 Jamby Madrigal formally filed court pleadings to contest the validity of the last will and testament of her late aunt Chito Madrigal-Collantes.