Gregorio Honasan

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Filipino politician and former military officer

title: "Gregorio Honasan" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1948-births", "living-people", "bicolano-politicians", "candidates-in-the-2016-philippine-vice-presidential-election", "duterte-administration-cabinet-members", "independent-politicians-in-the-philippines", "people-from-baguio", "people-from-marikina", "people-of-the-people-power-revolution", "philippine-army-personnel", "philippine-military-academy-alumni", "dutertism", "filipino-anti-communists", "recipients-of-the-distinguished-conduct-star", "reform-ph-party-politicians", "reform-the-armed-forces-movement", "secretaries-of-information-and-communications-technology-of-the-philippines", "senators-of-the-10th-congress-of-the-philippines", "senators-of-the-11th-congress-of-the-philippines", "senators-of-the-12th-congress-of-the-philippines", "senators-of-the-14th-congress-of-the-philippines", "senators-of-the-15th-congress-of-the-philippines", "senators-of-the-16th-congress-of-the-philippines", "senators-of-the-17th-congress-of-the-philippines", "united-nationalist-alliance-politicians"] description: "Filipino politician and former military officer" topic_path: "science/biology" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorio_Honasan" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Filipino politician and former military officer ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
name	Gregorio Honasan
image	Gringo Honasan.jpg
caption	Official portrait, 2016
order	2nd
office	Secretary of Information and Communications Technology
term_start	July 1, 2019
term_end	October 8, 2021
president	Rodrigo Duterte
predecessor	Eliseo Rio Jr. ()
successor	Jose Arturo De Castro ()
office2	Senator of the Philippines
term_start2	June 30, 2007
term_end2	June 30, 2019
term_start3	June 30, 1995
term_end3	June 30, 2004
office4	Chair of the Senate National Defense and Security Committee
term_start4	July 25, 2016
term_end4	November 20, 2018
predecessor4	Antonio Trillanes
successor4	Panfilo Lacson
office5	Chair of the Senate Peace, Unification and Reconciliation Committee
term_start5	July 25, 2016
term_end5	November 20, 2018
predecessor5	TG Guingona
successor5	Ronald dela Rosa
office6	Chair of the Senate Agrarian Reform Committee
term_start6	July 26, 2010
term_end6	June 30, 2016
predecessor6	Francis Pangilinan
successor6	Alan Peter Cayetano
birth_name	Gregorio Ballesteros Honasan II
birth_date
birth_place	Baguio, Mountain Province, Philippines
nationality	Filipino
party	Reform PH (since 2024)
spouse	Jane Umali
relations	Barbie Almalbis (daughter-in-law)
children	5, including Kai
residence	Manila
alma_mater	Philippine Military Academy (BS)
profession	Soldier
allegiance	Philippines
branch	Philippine Army
serviceyears	1971–1989
rank	[[File:PA COL Svc.svg
battles	Insurgency in the Philippines
awards	Presidential Government Medal
otherparty	UNA (2012–2021)
Independent (until 2012; 2021–2024)
occupation	Politician
mawards	Distinguished Conduct Star
::

After 1986, he led a series of unsuccessful but violent coup attempts against the administration of Corazon Aquino. President Fidel Ramos granted him amnesty in 1992. He entered politics and became a senator from 1995 to 2004, and again from 2007 to 2019. He ran for vice president of the Philippines, being Jejomar Binay's running-mate in 2016, but both were respectively defeated by Leni Robredo and Rodrigo Duterte.

On November 22, 2018, President Duterte appointed then-Senator Honasan as Secretary of Department of Information and Communications Technology, which took effect after the latter's senatorial term, with Eliseo Rio serving as acting secretary. He established much digital policies that helped the Philippine ICT landscape.

Early life and education

Gregorio Honasan was born in Baguio to Colonel Romeo Gillego Honasan and Alicia "Alice" Masip Ballesteros, both from Sorsogon province. He has six siblings.

Military career

After graduating in 1971, he joined the Philippine Army's special forces, 1st Scout Ranger Regiment and went into combat against separatist and communist insurgents in Luzon and Mindanao. He was wounded in action at battles in Lebak and Jolo. Making his way up through the armed forces, he became aide-de-camp to Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile in 1974, and later became the Defense Ministry's Chief of Security.

Concurrent with his position as security chief, he was a board member of the Northern Mindanao Development Bank and president of the Beatriz Marketing Company.

Political career

People Power

In 1986, Honasan and a cabal of colonels, backed by Enrile, tried to use popular unrest to overthrow the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos. When the plot was uncovered, the conspirators sought refuge in the military headquarters and called on civilians, the media, and the Catholic Church for protection. Hundreds of thousands of people served as human shields to protect Honasan and his men from Marcos' forces, sparking the 1986 People Power Revolution that led to Marcos' fall from power and the installation of Corazon Aquino as president.

Coups d'état

Aquino awarded Honasan a Distinguished Conduct Star for the EDSA Revolution and the Presidential Government Medal in 1986. Under the new government, he was head of a special group in the defense ministry. Using his position, he was covertly involved in various coup attempts against Aquino.

On August 28, 1987, fighting broke out in the streets and Honasan ordered his men to attack government installations, resulting in the deaths of dozens, including many civilians. The attack was put down by government forces, but Honasan was able to escape. He was later captured and imprisoned on a Navy ship in Manila Bay. He later escaped once again by convincing his guards to join his cause.

Senate

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Gregorio_Honasan.jpg" caption="Honasan in 2010"] ::

Philippine President Fidel Ramos, who was elected in 1992, granted amnesty to Honasan, who utilized his rebel infamy to enter politics in 1995, becoming the second independent candidate in Philippine history to win a seat in the Senate after Magnolia Antonino. He was re-elected in 2001, filling the vacant seat left by Senator Teofisto Guingona Jr., who was appointed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as Vice President. From April 25 to May 1, 2001, together with Juan Ponce Enrile, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Panfilo Lacson and Vicente Sotto III, he spoke at the EDSA III protests in support of deposed President Joseph Estrada. On May 1, 2001, the protesters stormed Malacañang Palace.

He left the Senate when his term expired in 2004. In the general election held in May 2007, he was again elected to the Senate. Running as an independent candidate, he polled some 11.6 million votes, finishing 10th out of 37 candidates for 12 Senate vacancies. He took up his post on June 30. He was reelected during the 2013 elections, placing 12th with 13,211,424 votes, his fourth term.

During the 2016 Philippine general elections, Honasan was Jejomar Binay's running mate under the United Nationalist Alliance party. Honasan placed 6th in the vice presidential race, garnering only 788,881 or 1.92% of votes.

In 2017, the Sandiganbayan anti-corruption court ordered the arrest of Honasan over allegations of graft connected to the pork barrel scam.

Information and Communications Technology Secretary

On November 22, 2018, President Duterte appointed Honasan as secretary of Department of Information and Communications Technology. Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. held the position until the end of Honasan's Senate term. Honasan was sworn into the office on July 1, 2019, and confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on September 11, 2019.

In January 2020, the Department was flagged by the Commission on Audit of the Philippines for worth of cash advances of confidential funds under Honasan. Undersecretary of Operations Eliseo Rio Jr. also questioned the cash advances as he resigned from his position. Secretary Honasan and Undersecretary Rio later issued a joint statement to state that the confidential expenses were "lawful and legitimate" and that "Undersecretary Rio's resignation was due to personal reasons, and not due to any rift with the Secretary, nor to any anomaly in the Confidential Expense."

Senate comeback attempts

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Lacson-Sotto_Supporters_Rally_QMC_Court_Gringo_Honasan_(Quezon_City;_04-09-2022).jpg" caption="Sotto]] campaign rally at [[Quezon Memorial Circle]], [[Quezon City]] in 2022"] ::

On October 8, 2021, Honasan filed his certificate of candidacy to run for senator in 2022, effectively ending his time as Secretary of Information and Communications Technology. His candidacy was endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte, making him part of the PDP–Laban senatorial slate, although he was an independent. He was also named to the senatorial slate of tickets led by presidential aspirants Panfilo Lacson and Bongbong Marcos (under UniTeam), respectively. However, he lost his bid with 10,668,886 votes, ranking 18th out of the 12 seats up for election. He conceded from the race on May 11, 2022.

On October 7, 2024, Honasan filed his certificate of candidacy to run for senator in 2025, this time under Reform PH Party. However, he lost once again, placing 28th.

Electoral history

::data[format=table title="Electoral history of Gregorio Honasan"]

Year	Office	Party	Votes received	Result	Total	%
Senator of the Philippines	Independent politician}};"		IND	8,968,616	34.85%	9th
10,454,527	35.47%	13th	+0.62
11,605,531	39.34%	10th	+3.87
United Nationalist Alliance}};"		UNA	13,211,424	32.91%	12th	-6.43
Independent politician}};"		IND	10,643,491	19.16%	18th	-13.75
Reform PH Party}};"		RP	6,700,772	11.68%	28th	-7.48
Vice President of the Philippines	United Nationalist Alliance}};"		UNA	788,881	1.92%	6th
::

Post-political life

In April 2024, lawyer and film producer Ferdinand Topacio announced plans for a biographical film about Honasan titled Gringo: The Greg Honasan Story to be directed by Lester Dimaranan, with Senator Robin Padilla later cast as Honasan; Padilla had previously portrayed him in the 1994 action film Col. Billy Bibit, RAM.

On June 10, 2024, Honasan and other colleagues in Magdalo and the RAM established the Reform PH party in San Juan, Metro Manila.

In popular culture

Parodied by veteran comedian Chiquito in the 1988 comedy film Gorio Punasan, Rebel Driver, the title being a pun on his name which literally translates as "Wipe Gorio".
Parodied in the 1987 comedy film Kumander Gringa starring Roderick Paulate.
Portrayed by Rez Cortez in the 1988 true to life drama TV film A Dangerous Life.
Portrayed by Robin Padilla in the 1994 true-to-life action-drama film Col. Billy Bibit, RAM and the upcoming biopic film Gringo: The Greg Honasan Story.
Portrayed by Moises Miclat in the 2007 comedy film Ang Cute ng Ina Mo!.

References

Notes

References

[http://www.rappler.com/entertainment/news/73823-gringo-honasan-kai-voice-philippines Rappler] news magazine article with video accessed March 14, 2016
{{usurped
"33. HONASAN, GRINGO". Vote Pilipinas.
Drogin, Bob. (March 20, 1993). "REBELLION : Forgiving the Enemy in Manila : President's efforts to neutralize Philippine rebels give him much-needed boost.". Los Angeles Times.
"Duterte formally appoints Honasan as DICT chief". GMA News.
"Senators Profile - Gregorio B. Honasan II".
McCoy, Alfred W.. (1999). "Closer Than Brothers: Manhood at the Philippine Military Academy". Yale University Press.
"i-site.ph - Gregorio Honasan".
"Honasan: Anti-Marcos poster boy turned coup leader". ABS-CBN News.
(April 30, 2001). "Miriam to GMA: Resign or we will storm palace". The Philippine Star.
(August 25, 2015). "Remembering the Iglesia-led EDSA 3". Rappler.
"#PHVote 2016 Official Election Results".
Adel, Rosette. (August 10, 2017). "Sandiganbayan orders Honasan arrested over 'pork' raps".
(July 2, 2019). "Veteran lawmaker Honasan to lead DICT".
Reganit, Jose Cielito. (September 11, 2019). "CA confirms appointment of Honasan as DICT chief". Philippine News Agency.
Lopez, Melissa Luz. (February 3, 2020). "Rio: ₱300-M of DICT's confidential funds released as cash advances to Honasan". CNN Philippines.
(February 7, 2020). "OFFICIAL JOINT STATEMENT OF SECRETARY GREGORIO B. HONASAN II AND UNDERSECRETARY ELISEO M. RIO, JR.".
Patinio, Ferdinand. (October 8, 2021). "PRRD attends PDP-Laban bets' COC filing". [[Philippine News Agency]].
(October 15, 2021). "Mix of old and new names in Lacson Senate slate of 15". [[Rappler]].
(February 4, 2022). "Marcos-Duterte tandem adopts Honasan on Senate ticket".
Baron, Gabriela. (May 11, 2022). "Honasan accepts loss, thanks supporters".
Villaruel, Jauhn Etienne. (October 7, 2024). "Ex-soldiers Honasan, Querubin file COCs for senator". ABS-CBN News.
Asis, Salve V.. (April 16, 2024). "Buhay ni Gringo Honasan, gagawing pelikula!". Philstar Global Corp..
Cruz, Marinel. (May 14, 2024). "Borracho Films to make 'Gringo' biopic, four more projects". INQUIRER.net.
Evangelista, Jessica Ann. (June 27, 2024). "Robin Padilla on possible movie reunion with Sharon Cuneta: 'Nakakaexcite'". INQUIRER.net.
Panti, Llanesca. (June 10, 2024). "Honasan, ex-RAM, Magdalo soldiers form Reform PH party".

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