President Joseph Estrada Role Politician Succeeded by Angelo Reyes Name Orlando Mercado Residence Makati, Philippines | President Corazon Aquino Party PDP-Laban Preceded by Fortunato Abat Spouse Susan Mercado | |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Preceded by Vacant
Post last held by himself Preceded by Vacant
Post last held by Arturo Tolentino Education University of the Philippines | ||
Orlando S. Mercado | Wikipedia audio article
Orlando Sánchez Mercado (born April 26, 1946), better known as Orly Mercado, is a Filipino politician and radio broadcaster. He was a senator of the Philippines for two terms (1987–1992 and 1992–1998) and the head and anchor of the popular radio program Radyo Patrol of ABS-CBN from 1969 to 1971 as well as the field reporter for pre-Martial Law days in The World Tonight. Upon Marcos' Proclamation No. 1081 in 1972, Orly was charged for subversion under Republic Act 1700 (Anti-Subversion Law) and was detained in Fort Bonifacio then his release after nine and a half months in detention, he returned to broadcasting and started teaching. Since 1975 Mercado has been the current producer and host of GMA Network's Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko (I Love My Fellowmen), the pioneer television program in public service in the Philippines. In 1998, he was appointed Secretary of National Defense by President Joseph Estrada. On January 19, 2001, the Chief of Staff and all of the commanding generals of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, together with the rest of the military establishment, withdrew their support for President Estrada who was then facing impeachment for plunder and corruption. Their appearance before a throng of protesters at the EDSA Shrine was the culmination of what was to be known as EDSA People Power II (Second EDSA Revolution), which ousted President Estrada from office. Mercado was reappointed Secretary of Defense by incoming President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo but resigned the post in protest of the designation of a former Chief of Staff as National Security Adviser who was also the subject of Mercado's anti-corruption campaign in the Department of National Defense.
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In 2008 Gloria Macapagal Arroyo nominated Mercado as Philippine ambassador to the China (People's Republic of China), also accredited to North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and Mongolia, however his nomination was objected to by Senator Jinggoy Estrada (son of President Estrada), then a member of the Commission on Appointments. In 2009 he was appointed as the first permanent representative of the Philippines to ASEAN, a newly created ambassadorial post that then did not require Commission on Appointments approval.
He is currently the Secretary-General of the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA), an organization of states, groups and individuals in the general area of Asia and the Pacific. He has taught courses in Public Administration and Communication in the University of the Philippines where he obtained all his degrees: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Master of Arts in Communication, and Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science. He is also a faculty member at the Ateneo de Manila University School of Government. On June 17, 2013, he returned to radio broadcasting with his program "Orly Mercado: All Ready" on Radyo Singko 92.3 NewsFM.
Significant Contributions
As Senator, among the measures he authored are:
As Secretary/Minister of Department of National Defense, he:
As the Philippines' first Permanent Representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he: