Feliciano Belmonte, Jr.

Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte, Jr. (born October 2, 1936, in Manila) is the current mayor of Quezon City. He was a former member of the Philippine House of Representatives representing the Fourth District of Quezon City.

Background

Belmonte was born to Judge Feliciano Belmonte, Sr. and his wife Luz. He attended grade school in Baguio City and earned his high school diploma at the San Beda College in Manila. He finished Law at the Lyceum of the Philippines; while in law school, he worked as a reporter at the Manila Chronicle, covering the police beat and events at the Philippine Commission on Elections.

Early government career

Belmonte began his government service as the Presidential Staff Assistant of Pres. Diosdado Macapagal. He also worked as a Special Assistant for the Commissioner of Customs, and as an Executive Assistant at the Central Bank of the Philippines.In 1986, President Corazon Aquino assigned him to head various financially-struggling government-owned corporations. He became President and General Manager of the Government Service and Insurance System (GSIS) and the Manila Hotel and chairman of the National Reinsurance Corporation of the Philippines. He also represented the government as member of the board of directors of the San Miguel Corporation and the Philippine Long Distance and Telecommunications Company (PLDT). More importantly, he assumed the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine Airlines, which was then wholly owned by the Philippine government.

As an elected public officer

Belmonte was elected representative of the 4th Congressional District of Quezon City and held the position for three consecutive terms. He served as House Minority leader and House Speaker of the 11th Congress.

As a legislator, he was one of the principal co-authors of the General Appropriations Act (R.A. 7845, 8174, 8250 and 8522) of the Philippines and the Salary Standardization Law. He also gained national prominence as the lead prosecutor in the impeachment trial of President Joseph Estrada.

In 2001, he ran for the position of Mayor of Quezon City and won, and was re-elected in 2004 and in 2007.

Belmonte was a long-standing member of the administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD party from his first term in Congress in 1992 until November 2009, where he last held the position of senior vice president for externals. On November 19, 2009, he and his vice mayor, Herbert Bautista, were sworn in as members of the opposition Liberal Party^[1].

Personal life

Belmonte was a member of the Manila Jaycees, the Rotary Club of Manila and the Knights of Rizal.

He was married to Betty Go-Belmonte (1934-1994), founder of The Philippine Star. They have four children: Isaac, Kevin, Miguel and Joy. Their three sons are also holding editorial and managerial positions in the Philippine Star and their sister publications like Pilipino Star Ngayon and PM tabloids published in the Filipino vernacular, as well as the Cebu-based newspaper The Freeman.

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