Rodrigo Abellanosa

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Abellana and the surname or paternal family name is Abellanosa.

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.

The Honorable Rodrigo Abellanosa
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Cebu City's 2nd district
In office June 30, 2013 – June 30, 2022
Preceded by	Tomas Osmeña
Succeeded by	Eduardo "Edu" Rama Jr.
House of Representatives positions Chair of the Philippine House Committee on Natural Resources In office August 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019 Preceded by Arnel Ty Succeeded by Elpidio Barzaga Jr.
Member of the Cebu City Council from the 2nd district
In office June 30, 2004 – June 30, 2013
Barangay Captain of Duljo Fatima, Cebu City
In office June 30, 1994 – June 30, 2004
Personal details
Born	Rodrigo Abellana Abellanosa (1961-12-02) December 2, 1961 (age 61) Cebu City, Philippines
Political party	LDP (2018–present)
Other political affiliations	BO–PK (2003–present) Liberal (2009–2018) Lakas-CMD (2003–2009)
Education	Asian Institute of Management University of the Philippines Diliman Ateneo de Manila University
Profession	Politician
Signature

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 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 Act	An 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

House of Representatives

2013 Philippine House of Representatives election in the 2nd District of Cebu City^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	Rodrigo Abellanosa	123,757	55.54
	UNA	Aristotle Batuhan	99,073	44.46
Total votes			222,830	100.00
	Liberal hold

2016 Philippine House of Representatives election in the 2nd District of Cebu City^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	Rodrigo Abellanosa (incumbent)	148,838	59.26
	UNA	Gerardo Carillo	97,293	38.74
	Independent	Lea Ong	5,013	2.00
Total votes			251,144	100.00
	Liberal hold

2019 Philippine House of Representatives election in the 2nd District of Cebu City^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	LDP	Rodrigo Abellanosa (incumbent)	163,752	61.22
	PDP–Laban	Jocelyn Pesquera	103,717	38.78
Total votes			267,469	100.00
	LDP gain from Liberal

Personal life

Abellanosa has three children namely Jose Lorenzo, BG Rodrigo, and Angel Vianne.^[31][32]

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. 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. . Cebu City Government. Archived from the original on December 11, 2004. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
8. . 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. . CDN Digital. September 8, 2012. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
14. . 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. . 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 (Sandiganbayan 2017).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. "2013 ELECTION RESULTS: CEBU". Rappler. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
29. "Halalan 2016: Cebu City". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
30. "2019 ELECTION RESULTS: CEBU". Rappler. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
31. "Bebot Abellanosa almost late to son's Ateneo graduation". visayas.politics.com.ph. Politiko. May 7, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
32. "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 Tomas Osmeña	Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from 2nd District of Cebu City 2013–2022	Succeeded by Eduardo Rama Jr.