Rodolfo Biazon

Rodolfo "Pong" Gaspar Biazon (born April 14, 1935) is a politician in the Philippines. He is a former Senator. He was elected Senator in the 1992 election for a term of 3 years. He was elected to his first six-year term in the 1998 election, and was re-elected in the 2004 election. He is now the representative for the lone district of Muntinlupa City.

Early life and career
Biazon was born on April 14, 1935 in Batac City, Ilocos Norte. His father Rufino Biazon, was a doughmaker then, while his mother Juliana Gaspar, was a clotheswasher. His father died and left him along with his mother and three younger sisters when he was seven years old. At a young age of eight, he and his sisters had already experienced hardship, especially during the Japanese regime. Living in a makeshift shanty in Cavite, they had to peddle food, collected bottles and newspapers, which were later sold in order to earn a living for the family. In spite of their condition, it did not stop him from obtaining his education.

He enrolled as a Grade One student at the age of eleven, in 1946. In order to support his education, and at the same time look for ways to earn money, so he went to school in the morning and worked in the afternoon. He would collect seashells in Manila Bay which were in turn sold at the market. He studied in Jose Rizal Elementary School, Pasay City, for his primary education where he graduated salutatorian. He continued working, washing clothes for other people in order to sustain his high school education at the Jose Abad Santos High School located at the Arellano University, Pasay City in 1955. He also graduated from this school with honors. He stopped doing laundry and instead worked as a laborer in then Highway 54 now known as EDSA, this time to sustain his college education in FEATI where he took mechanical engineering.

He also attended other trainings or schooling which include the TOP Management Program at the Asian Institute of Management; Command and General Staff Course in Quantico, Virginia, U.S.; Crisis Program in California, U.S.; Allied Combat Intelligence Course in Okinawa, Japan; Senior Officer Maintenance Course in Kentucky, U.S.; Amphibious Warfare Course in Quantico, Virginia, U.S. and, Military Instructors in Norfolk, Virginia, United States.

Military career
He entered the Philippine Military Academy in 1957, although he applied and passed for the US Navy. He was the class goat of PMA Class 1961 yet this did not prevent him from achieving his goal.

As a soldier, he attained the following posts: Superintendent of PMA in 1986-87, Commandant of the Philippine Marines (PMC) in 1987-89, Commanding General of the NCR Defense Command in 1988-90, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Vice Chief of Staff in 1990-91 and Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff in 1991.

He was assigned in Davao in 1983. It was the time when the trust and confidence of the civilians in the military were returned.

During his time as Commandant of the Philippine Marine, Brig. Gen. Rodolfo Biazon was to leave a significant impact on the Corps. In the height of the 1989 Philippine coup attempt by the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM), led by Col. Gringo Honasan, the Marines came out as the defenders of the Republic. The image of the PMC was redeemed after this event, as the public's memory of the PMC's role during the 1986 EDSA Revolution was still fresh. More over, Biazon was hailed as a hero not only by the Aquino government, but also by the general public.

Receiving the confidence of Pres. Cory Aquino, Gen. Biazon was chosen to be the third Armed Forces Chief of Staff of the 5th Republic, after Fidel V. Ramos and Renato de Villa, and the first one to come from the ranks of the PMC.

Senate
He became Senator in the Ninth Congress from 1992 up to 1995. Paul Aquino, the brother of the late Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. was the one who convinced him to run for office.

He was again elected as Senator in 1998 and continues to serve his term up to 2010.

He was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security and Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement.

Aside from this, he holds the following positions in the Senate: Vice-Chair of the Committees on Agriculture and Food and Foreign Relations, and a Member of 15 other Senate Committees.

He is also the President of the Asian Regional Council Global Parliamentarians on Habitat, the Vice-President for Asia Global Parliamentarians on Habitat, the Co-chairperson of the Philippine Legislators' Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. (PLCPD) and a member of the Commission on Appointments.

Biazon run for re-election and won in 2004 narrowly beating Senator Robert Barbers by margin of 10,685. Barbers filed an electoral protest but died within the year. Biazon continued filling numerous bills and resolution many of them were passed into law, some of them:


 * Republic Act No. 9208, Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act,
 * Republic Act No. 9161, reforming the renting industry
 * Republic Act No. 7835, Comprehensive and Integrated Shelter Finance Act,
 * Republic Act No. 7898, An Act providing for the Modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,
 * Republic Act No. 7742, changing the mandatory membership to the Pag-Ibig Fund
 * Republic Act No. 7901, creation of the region of Caraga (Region XIII)
 * Republic Act No. 7889, establishing the University of the Philippines Mindanao
 * Republic Act No. 7863, the Home Guaranty Corporation Law
 * Republic Act No. 7691, Expanding the Jurisdiction of MTC’s, MCTC and METC,
 * Joint Resolution No. 7, increasing the subsistence allowance of soldiers and policemen,
 * Republic Act No. 8763, amending the Home Guarantee Corporation Act
 * Republic Act No. 9040, tax exemption of allowances and benefits for members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
 * Republic Act No. 9049, granting monthly gratuity and privileges to awardes of the Medal of Valor

He was also one of the main proponent of the Reproductive Health Bill.

House of Representatives
Biazon ran for the open seat of his son, Ruffy in the lone district in 2010 as he was term-limited. Ruffy also term-limited ran instead for the Senate but lost at fourteenth place. He faced former broadcaster Dong Puno. He was elected with 46% of the vote. His term started on June 30, 2010.

Personal life
He met Ms. Monserrat Narag Bunoan as a classmate in the Philippine Military Academy. Eight months after his graduation in the Philippine Military Academy, he eventually married Monserrat or "Monchie" as she is called.

They have three children, Rita Rosanna, Rino Rudiyardo and Rozzano Rufino (three time Muntinlupa City Congressman; married to Trina Biazon), who were all successful in their own fields.