Rodrigo Abellanosa

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Rodrigo Abellanosa
Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa Official Portrait (18th Congress).jpg
Member of the
Philippine House of Representatives
from Cebu City's 2nd district
In office
June 30, 2013 –June 30, 2022
Signature Rodrigo Abellanosa Signature.png

Rodrigo "Bebot" Abellana Abellanosa (born December 2, 1961) is a Filipino politician who served as the representative for the 2nd district (south district) of Cebu City from 2013 to 2022. [1] He was a member of the Cebu City Council representing the 2nd district from 2004 to 2013, and was the barangay captain of Duljo Fatima, Cebu City from 1994 to 2004.

Contents

Early career

Abellanosa established the Asian Computer Institute (ACI), the precursor of Asian College of Technology (ACT) on September 19, 1988, in Colon Street, Cebu City. [2] He went on to serve as president of ACT and Asian College of Technology International Education Foundation Inc. (ACTIEF). [3] [4]

Political career

Barangay captain (1994–2004)

Abellanosa served as Barangay Captain of Duljo-Fatima in Cebu City from 1994. [5]

Cebu City Council (2004–2013)

Abellanosa served as City Councilor for three consecutive terms from 2004 to 2013.

He first ran as City Councilor of the South District under Bando Osmeña – Pundok Kauswagan of Mayor Tomas Osmeña. [6]

In the 10th Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), he was designated as Chairman of the Committee on Family & Women and Committee on Local & International Relations. [7]

In the 11th Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), he was designated as Chairman of the Committee on Social Services. He also served as Vice Chairman of the Committee on Public Services and the Committee on Family & Women. [8]

In the 12th Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), he was designated as the Presiding Officer Pro Tempore and Chairman of the Committee on Social Services. He also served as Vice Chairman of the Committee on Education, Science and Technology and the Committee on Trade, Commerce, Cooperatives and Entrepreneurship in the 12th SP. [9]

House of Representatives (2013–2022)

Abellanosa ran for Representative of Cebu City 2nd district (South) to succeed Tomas Osmeña who unsuccessfully ran as Mayor in the 2013 elections. He won against Aristotle Batuhan in 2013, [10] Gerardo Carillo in 2016 [11] and Jocelyn Pesquera in 2019. [12]

He was supposed to run against Antonio Cuenco, the former 2nd District (South) Representative of Cebu City but on September 7, 2012, Cuenco announced that he was retiring from politics for health reasons. In a letter read by his son James Anthony Cuenco, the former Deputy Speaker said that he suffered vertigo during a sortie. [13] Cuenco endorsed then Cebu City Councilor Jose Daluz III as his replacement [14] but eventually, former DOTC undersecretary Aristotle "Totol" Batuhan was chosen by Team Rama to run against Abellanosa. [15]

On December 13, 2012, a complaint was filed by a certain Phillip Banguiran, a resident of barangay Inayawan, Cebu City citing Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act by asking the Ombudsman in the Visayas to investigate Abellanosa because his school, Asian College of Technology, was the biggest recipient of the city's scholarship program. [16]

On October 11, 2016, the Office of the Ombudsman filed a graft case before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan against Abellanosa over an alleged P51-million anomalous transaction when he was a city councilor. He was accused of having an unlawful interest in Cebu City's distribution of PHP 51.065 million in scholarship programs when he was a city councilor in 2011.

Then Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales approved the charge sheet against Abellanosa on September 29, 2016. The prosecution said that as a member of the Sangguniang Panglungsod, Abellanosa showed unlawful interest in the passage of City Resolution No. 12-3355-2011, which authorized the city mayor to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Asian College of Technology and International Educational Foundation (ACTIEF) where he was a trustee and president of ACTIEF at the time.

The prosecution said Abellanosa entered into an MOA with the Cebu City government on behalf of ACTIEF for the implementation of a city-funded scholarship program.

Records obtained by graft investigators showed ACTIEF was entrusted with PHP 51.065 million scholarship funds, which the Ombudsman said was prejudicial to the government and public interest. [17]

The Ombudsman found him guilty of grave misconduct and meted him the penalty of dismissal of service but in a 10-page resolution that was promulgated on January 27, 2017, the Sandiganbayan granted the motion to quash information filed by Abellanosa, saying that the facts in the case do not constitute an offense. Thus, the higher court ordered to lift the hold-departure order issued against him and released the bond he posted for his provisional liberty. [18] [19]

In a 10-page decision promulgated on December 21, 2017, the Special 20th Division of the Court of Appeals (CA) reversed the decision of the Office of the Ombudsman finding Abellanosa guilty of grave misconduct for his involvement in the City Government's scholarship program while he was still a councilor thus allowing him to continue to serve as Congressman. Associate Justice Geraldine Fiel-Macaraig banked on the doctrine of condonation in favoring Abellanosa. [20]

Macaraig, who pinned her opinion, which was affirmed by two other associate justices, said that contrary to the grounds of the Ombudsman, Abellanosa's election as congressman during the 2013 elections rendered the imposition of the administrative offense of grave misconduct moot and academic on the basis of condonation doctrine.

Based on the 2018 Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs), Abellanosa remained as the richest Cebuano lawmaker who declared PHP 71.4 million net worth or actual wealth as of December 31, 2018.

Abellanosa's net worth is PHP 2.1 million more than his PHP 69.3 million net worth in 2017 while in 2016, he had PHP 68.8 million actual wealth. Since 2016 up to 2018, he declared no liabilities. [21]

Legislative portfolio

As a member of 16th and 17th Congress, Abellanosa authored 170 bills and co-authored 76 bills.

Abellanosa is the principal author of the House version of the following laws:

Republic Act (House Bill) Short title Long title Source
R.A. 11189
(HB 6620)		An Act Increasing the Bed Capacity of St. Anthony Mother and Child Hospital in Cebu City from Twenty-Five (25) to Two Hundred (200), and Appropriating Funds Therefor [22]
R.A. 11185
(HB 6030)		An Act Integrating the Cebu City Mountain Extension Campus as a Satellite Campus of the Cebu Technological University and Appropriating Funds Therefor, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 9744,
Otherwise Known as "An Act Converting the Cebu State College of Science and Technology System in the City of Cebu and All its Satellite Campuses Located in the Province of Cebu into a State University to be Known as the Cebu Technological University (CTU) and Appropriating Funds Therefor		 [23]
R.A. 10928
(HB 4767)		An Act Extending the Validity of Philippine Passports, Amending for the Purpose Section 10 OF Republic Act No. 8239, Otherwise Known as the "Philippine Passport Act OF 1996″, and for Other Purposes [24]
R.A. 10644
(HB 4595)		Go Negosyo ActAn Act Promoting Job Generation and Inclusive Growth through the Development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises [25]
R.A. 10931
(HB 5633)		 Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act An Act Promoting Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education by Providing for Free Tuition and Other School Fees in State Universities and Colleges, Local Universities and Colleges and State-Run Technical Vocational Institutions, Establishing the Tertiary Education Subsidy and Student Loan Program, Strengthening the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education and Appropriating Funds Therefor [26]
R.A. 11462
(HB 4933)		An Act Postponing the May 2020 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 9164, As Amended by Republic Act No. 9340, Republic Act No. 10632, Republic Act No. 10656, Republic Act No. 10923 and Republic Act No. 10952, and for Other Purposes [27]

Electoral history

Electoral history of Rodrigo A. Abellanosa
YearOffice
Constituency		Party [a] Main opponent [b] Votes for AbellanosaResultRef
LocalNationalNamePartyTotal%±%Mgn. [c] P. [d]
1994 Barangay Captain
Duljo Fatima, Cebu City 		Nonpartisan [e] —————1stWon [5]
1997 —————1stWon
2002 —————1stWon
2004 City Councilor
Cebu City 2nd district 		BOPK Lakas-CMD —106,053———1stWon [30]
2007 ——————Won [31]
2010 Liberal —137,67610.37%—5.47%1stWon [32]
2013 Representative
Cebu City 2nd District		Aristotle Batuhan BARUG 123,75755.54%— [f] 11.08%1stWon [33] [34]
2016 Gerry Carillo BARUG 148,83859.26%+3.72%20.52%1stWon [35]
2019 LDP Jocelyn Pesquera BARUG 163,75261.22%+1.96%22.40%1stWon [36]
2022 Term-limited as representative, did not run [g] [37]
2025 Representative
Cebu City 2nd District		 BOPK Liberal Eduardo Rama Jr.
(Incumbent)		 BARUG 131,72342.11%-19.11%-15.78%2ndLost [38]
Notes
  1. ↑ Filipino local politicians more commonly campaign in their constituencies based on local parties and alliances, rather than on their national parties. It is also common for local parties and alliances to switch affiliations to another national party, especially following the election of a new President. [28]
  2. ↑ The listed main opponent is either the victorious candidate (in an election defeat) or the second-ranked candidate (in a victory). No main opponent is listed for positions with multiple officeholders, e.g. City Councilor.
  3. ↑ For offices with only one winner (e.g. Mayor), margins shown are over the main or winning opponent. For offices with multiple winners (e.g. City Council), margins shown are over the highest-ranked losing candidate.
  4. ↑ The top 8 candidates for the Cebu City Council in each district are elected. All 16 councilors are ranked based on how much votes they each got compared to all other councilors, rather than on their rankings within their district. In contrast, only the 1st-ranked candidate for Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Representative posts wins.
  5. ↑ While Barangay officials and alliances commonly align with City- or Municipal-level political parties, they are officially required to be nonpartisan and independent of political parties during Barangay elections, as per Section 4 of the Barangay Election Act of 1982. [29]
  6. ↑ 2013 vote percentage non-comparable to previous election due to running for an position with a single officeholder (Representative) after previously running for a position with multiple officeholders (City Councilor).
  7. ↑ In 2022, BOPK fielded Abellanosa's son, BG Rodrigo Abellanosa, for South District Representative. The younger Abellanosa lost to City Councilor Eduardo Rama Jr. of BARUG.

Personal life

Abellanosa has three children, namely Jose Lorenzo, BG Rodrigo, and Angel Vianne. Jose is currently a City Councilor from the 2nd District on his 2nd term. [37] [38] [39] [40]

References

  1. ↑ "Hon. Abellanosa, Rodrigo A." congress.gov.ph. House of Representatives. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Brief Historical Sketch". ACT. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  3. ↑ Princess Dawn H. Felicitas (April 15, 2015). "'Abellanosa doesn't own ACT now'". SunStar Cebu. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  4. ↑ Alicia Ivy L. Chua (December 30, 2019). "Cebu City Attorney: 'Don't pay ACTIEF'". The Freeman. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  5. 1 2 Gabby G. Malagar (February 1, 2007). "CESAFI braces for SWU return and ACT Fiber Knights' entry in 2007 season". The Freeman. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Tommy O, party mates file COCs". The Freeman. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Hon. Rodrigo A. Abellanosa". Cebu City Government. Archived from the original on December 11, 2004. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Hon. Rodrigo A. Abellanosa". Cebu City Government. Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Hon. Rodrigo A. Abellanosa". Cebu City Government. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Candidates officially proclaimed winners in the 2013 Elections". GMA News. May 14, 2013. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Cebu City reps Del Mar, Abellanosa reelected". SunStar Cebu. May 10, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  12. ↑ Ador Vincent Mayol, Doris Bongcac (December 14, 2012). "Midnight proclamation for Cebu City's south district election winners". CDN Digital. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Vertigo forces Cuenco to abandon Congress run". CDN Digital. September 8, 2012. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Cebu ex-lawmaker yields House contest". SunStar Cebu. September 8, 2012. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  15. ↑ Fred Languido (September 24, 2012). "Totol vs Bebot". The Freeman. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Abellanosa faces graft probe over scholarships". CDN Digital. May 15, 2019. Archived from the original on December 15, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Cebu City Rep Abellanosa charged with graft". Rappler. October 11, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  18. ↑ Razel V. Cuizon (February 14, 2017). "Abellanosa cleared of graft case". SunStar Cebu. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  19. ↑ People of the Philippines v. Abellanosa(Sandiganbayan2017), Text .
  20. ↑ "CA allows Bebot to keep serving public". SunStar Cebu. January 4, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  21. ↑ Mylen P. Manto (June 14, 2019). "Bebot is richest among Cebuano lawmakers". The Philippine Star . Retrieved May 4, 2020. Abellanosa, a resident of Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City and the founder and president of Asian College of Technology (ACT) declared P71.4 million net worth or actual wealth as of December 31, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Republic Act. No. 11189" (PDF). Congress.gov.ph. January 10, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Republic Act. No. 10931" (PDF). Congress.gov.ph. January 10, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Republic Act. No. 10928" (PDF). Congress.gov.ph. August 2, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  25. ↑ "Republic Act. No. 10644" (PDF). Congress.gov.ph. July 15, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  26. ↑ "Republic Act. No. 10931" (PDF). Congress.gov.ph. August 3, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Republic Act. No. 11462" (PDF). Congress.gov.ph. December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Party switching: 'Perversion' of political system". Rappler. May 11, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  29. ↑ "BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 222, March 25, 1982 - AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ELECTION OF BARANGAY OFFICIALS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES". Supreme Court E-Library. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
  30. ↑ "2004 City or Municipality Election Result". data.gov.ph (archived). Archived from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  31. ↑ "Tomas, BOPK bets proclaimed winners". PhilSTAR. May 21, 2007. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  32. ↑ "BOPK wins landslide in Cebu City". PhilSTAR. May 13, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  33. ↑ "2013 ELECTION RESULTS: CEBU CITY, CEBU | Rappler". election-results.rappler.com. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  34. ↑ "Rama proclaimed Cebu City mayor". Rappler. May 14, 2013. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  35. ↑ "Halalan 2016 - Partial and Unofficial Results". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  36. ↑ "Cebu City - Cebu - City/Municipality Results - Eleksyon 2019 - GMA News Online". GMA News. May 13, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  37. 1 2 "Cebu City - Cebu - Eleksyon 2022 - GMA News Online". May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  38. 1 2 "Halalan 2025 CITY OF CEBU Election Results". ABS-CBN News. May 12, 2025. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  39. ↑ "Bebot Abellanosa almost late to son's Ateneo graduation". visayas.politics.com.ph. Politiko. May 7, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  40. ↑ "Bebot Abellanosa proud of daughter's graduation medals". visayas.politics.com.ph. Politiko. March 26, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
House of Representatives of the Philippines
Preceded by Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from 2nd District of Cebu City
2013–2022		Succeeded by
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