Vote Pilipinas

SENATORIAL CANDIDATE

◯

4. BAGUILAT, TEDDY

LIBERAL PARTY

Teddy Baguilat, 55, is an advocate for Ifugao, Indigenous Peoples rights, the environment and human rights and has served various elective seats in Ifugao. Hailing from the Tuwali and Gaddang tribes, Baguilat served as a municipal councilor and mayor of Kiangan, Ifugao, before becoming a two-term provincial governor and representative of the lone district of Ifugao from 2010 to 2019.

As district representative, he principally authored at least 34 laws, including the Sagip Saka Law, the 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave Law and the Free Internet Access in Public Spaces Act.

In 2014 and 2017, Baguilat and other Cordillera lawmakers unsuccessfully sought to pass an organic act granting autonomy to the Cordillera Autonomous Region which they pushed as the most effective way to achieve sustainable development and enjoy the use and management of local natural resources.

After serving his third consecutive term as Ifugao representative, he made another gubernatorial bid in 2019 but narrowly lost.

If elected, Baguilat would be the first Indigenous Person elected to the Senate. He vows to defend the rights and ancestral domains of IPs which he said would play a key role in national development. Baguilat is also campaigning on expanded environmental protection, community-based management and preservation of natural resources, promoting the use of renewable energy sources and further protection for Filipino culture, arts and music.

He supports the legalization of divorce, shifting to a federal system and the passage of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression Equality Bill. He opposes the reinstatement of the death penalty and the current administration's bloody campaign against illegal drugs.

Baguilat has been included in the Senate slates of presidential aspirants Leody de Guzman, a labor leader, and Vice President Leni Robredo. He is also endorsed by the 1Sambayan opposition coalition.

Platform and Policy

+

The candidate's top priorities if elected to office, tracked against previous promises and accomplishments, if any

Select a policy profile below to view more details

Indigenous People's rights, culture and education

Environmental and climate action

Agrarian reform and food security; Fishermen and farmers welfare

Justice

Related Policy Proposal:

Protect and recognizeI Ps and Local Communities Conserved Areas and Territories or ICCAs
Provide IPs access to essential government services
Facilitate the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent Process using the local language
Strengthen values education
Promote original Pilipino music and institute protective measures for Filipino musicians

Previous Platform:

Track Record / Accomplishment; Date:

Principal author of R.A. No. 10689 which declared August 9 as National Indigenous Peoples Day. It was enacted on Oct. 10, 2015.
Trainor in the Indigenous Peoples’ Academy
Filed House Bill No. 04563 on May 2, 2011, to amend the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act to create a joint congressional oversight committee to monitor implementation
Filed House Bill No. 0887 in Jan. 31, 2011, or a resolution seeking a review of the process for issuing FPIC from IP’s communities for mining and other development projects in ancestral domains (pending with the House committee on national cultural communities since Feb. 16, 2011)

Deviation from Previous Platform:

Related Policy Proposal:

Ensure the following for OFWs:

Promote community-based stewardship of mineral resources and prescribe a community-based forest management strategy
Designate ICCAs as no go zones for mining
Declare natural forests as protected areas, formulate a national forestry master plan and create a municipal forestry board
Reduce reliance on coal
Encourage shift to renewable energy sources and technologies
Promote green jobs
Revoke erroneous titles, permits and grants within critical habitats, critical watershed areas, protected areas, important biodiversity areas and key biodiversity areas
Set minimum conditions for production sharing and joint venture agreements for forest resources
Eliminate single-use plastics

Previous Platform:

Track Record / Accomplishment; Date:

Committed P10 million from his congressional development fund for the Ifugao Rice Terraces restoration efforts in 2012
Filed House Bill No. 3485, or an act to protect, conserve, utilize, develop and sustainably manage forest resources, on Oct. 11, 2010; transmitted to Senate on Dec. 15, 2011
Filed House Bill No. 0528 on Oct. 12, 2010, or a resolution urging President Benigno Aquino III to issue an executive order to place a moratorium on large-scale mining in the Philippines

Deviation from Previous Platform:

Related Policy Proposal:

Provide crop insurances to farmers
Genuine agrarian reform
Provide farmers and fisherfolk with alternative livelihood programs

Previous Platform:

Track Record / Accomplishment; Date:

Principal author of R.A. No. 11321 (Sagip Saka Act)
Spoke out against the importation of rice and vegetables from other countries
Filed House Bill No. 02841 on Aug, 10, 2016, or an act establishing a strategic food security rice reserve (pending with the House committee on government enterprises and privatization since Aug, 17, 2016)

Deviation from Previous Platform:

Related Policy Proposal:

Pass the freedom of information law
Require and enforce the mandatory disclosure of SALN of highest public officials
Integrate freedom of information and good governance in school curricula
Complete the land acquisition and distribution component of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program
Include human rights education in school curricula
Reverse export-orientation of mining

Previous Platform:

Track Record / Accomplishment; Date:

Filed House Bill No. 00112, entitled the People’s Freedom of Information Act, on June 30, 2016 (pending with the House committee on public information)

Deviation from Previous Platform:

Major Accomplishments

+

The candidate's top five accomplishments and contributions for the last 15 years or so

Public Office

In his capacity as legislator in the House of Representatives, Baguilat principally authored more than 150 bills, 34 of which were passed into law. Baguilat also filed numerous bills seeking the protection of ancestral domains and natural resources located in IP communities.

In 2014 and 2017, Baguilat and other Cordillera lawmakers sought to pass an organic act granting autonomy to the Cordillera Autonomous Region, which they claimed was the most effective way to achieve sustainable development and enjoy the use and management of local natural resources. In 2020, yet another bill was filed in support of Cordillera autonomy. Two organic acts were previously passed by Congress in 1990 and 1998 but neither was ratified in a plebiscite.

With fellow representatives in the lower chamber, Baguilat filed a number of complaints for impeachments against justices of the Supreme Court. Such complaints were dismissed by the House committee on justice.

In the lower chamber, Baguilat was part of the “Magnificent Seven”, a group of opposition lawmakers in the House, and a vocal critic of President Rodrigo Duterte and his administration’s campaign against illegal drugs. During the 17th Congress, he filed House Bill No. 61 calling for an investigation of the extrajudicial killings committed over the course of the war on illegal drugs.

In August 2016, he and other minority lawmakers filed a petition seeking a temporary restraining order with the Supreme Court to stop the burial of deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

This was a reversal for Baguilat, who previously joined 213 representatives in signing a resolution filed by the late Sorsogon Rep. Salvador Escudero III urging President Benigno Aquino III to allow a hero’s burial for Marcos. Baguilat said that he changed his mind since his neophyte times in the lower chamber, realizing that a hero’s burial would be akin to burying the Martial Law atrocities during the Marcos regime. The SC dismissed the petitions in November 18 and the burial at the LNMB proceeded on Nov. 18, 2016.

Public Office Achievements

R.A. No 11321, or the Sagip Saka Law

Position/Date
Among the principal authors, 2019

Status
Approved by the president on Apr. 17, 2019

R. A. No. 11332, or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act

Position/Date
Among the principal authors,2018

Status
Approved by the president on Apr. 26, 2019

R.A. No. 11036, or the Mental Health Act

Position/Date
Principal author, 2018

Status
Approved by the president on June 20, 2018

R.A. No. 10929, or the Free Internet Access in Public Spaces Act

Position/Date
Principal author, 2016

Status
Approved by the president on Aug. 2, 2017

R.A. No. 10689 - An Act Declaring August 9 as National Indigenous Peoples Day and Mandating the Meaningful Observance Thereof

Position/Date
Principal author, 2016

Status
Enacted on Oct. 23, 2015

Private Sector

In between breaks in public office, Baguilat continued his advocacies in his stints as consultant to various non-governmental organizations. He sat as the president of the Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement from 2004 to 2007 and executive director of the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights from 2019 to 2021.

Baguilat has also been the president of the Global Consortium for Indigenous Peoples’ and Community Conserved Areas and Territories since 2020.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he organized Cordillera Landing on You, which facilitated the transport of farm goods and products from the Cordilleras to urban area-consumers.

Private Sector Achievements

IP rights and ancestral domains protection

Since 2020, president of the Global Consortium on Indigenous Communities’ Conserved Areas
From 2004 to 2007, president of the Save the Ifugao Rice Terraces Movement, an organization that aimed to preserve the rice terraces as a UNESCO World Heritage site through sustainable eco-tourism projects and education of Ifugao youth

Human rights

From 2019 to 2021, Executive Director of the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights

Actions and/or Proceedings

+

Actions and/or proceedings pending against or resolved in courts or tribunals involving the candidate, based on publicly available information

Resolved Actions and/or Proceedings

Subject Matter	Relevant Dates	Accrued Liability	Status
Violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act Filed against Baguilat and several co-accused (including former officials in the Ifugao provincial government) relating to the alleged overpriced purchase in 2003 by the provincial government of a second-hand Isuzu Wagon Trooper from a local seller for P900,000, without a competitive bidding required under the Government Procurement Act (R.A. No. 9184) and other irregularities	Case filed before the Office of the Ombudsman on Sept. 24, 2009 In March 2017, the Office of the Ombudsman found Baguilat guilty of grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty and ordered him to be dismissed from his position The Sandiganbayan also granted Baguilat’s motion to dismiss the graft charges, ruling that Baguilat’s right to a speedy disposition of cases was violated when almost 13 years passed before the investigation was finished and the charges were filed On June 4, 2018, the motion for reconsideration was also dismissed by the Sandiganbayan		In June 2018, the Court of Appeals set aside the Office of the Ombudsman decision and ruled that the “Condonation Doctrine” was applicable to Baguilat, who was re-elected as governor in 2007 In January 2019, the CA dismissed the motion for reconsideration for lack of merit
Grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty Filed by the provincial board of Ifugao after Baguilat allegedly failed to notify the board of his foreign travels	On Jan. 16, 2013, the Office of the Ombudsman found Baguilat guilty and liable to pay a fine equivalent to a one-year salary Baguilat had previously denied the claims, stating that he complied with requirements in connection with his travels, and called the dismissal order a matter of political harassment due to the upcoming 2013 elections		On Mar. 19, 2015, the CA granted Baguilat’s motion to dismiss the charges, reversing the 2013 decision of the Office of the Ombudsman

Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth

+

Also known as SALN, this document is a declaration of one's personal finances. Philippine Law requires the SALN to be submitted by all public officials and employees to the Ombudsman. Public officials and employees may opt to voluntarily disclose their SALN to the public.

Assets

P13.6 million

Liabilities

P6.5 million

Net Worth

P7.1 million

* As of Dec. 31, 2018

Campaign Details

+

Key details about the candidate's campaign

Alliances and Endorsements:

Included in the Senate slate of Leody de Guzman
Included in the Senate slate of Leni Robredo
Endorsed by 1Sambayan coalition

Party History:

Liberal Party

2001-present

Major Donors

+

Candidate's major donors and campaign funding sources

There is no publicly available information on this matter at this time. Requested information from the candidate was not provided.

Major Advocacies

+

The candidate's top advocacies in the last 15 years or so

Freedom of information; Government transparency

IP rights

Education

SOGIE Equality bill

Human rights

Health

Freedom of information; Government transparency

As a lawmaker, filed House Bill No. 00112, or the People’s Freedom of Information Act, on June 30, 2016 (pending with the House committee on public information)
As a senatorial candidate for 2022, supports the mandatory disclosure of SALN for highest public officials. He therefore rejected the amendments proposed by the Ombudsman to R.A. No. 6713 which requires government officials to submit their SALNs
Member since 2008 of Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance

IP rights

As a lawmaker, filed several House bills seeking to preserve and protect the rights of IPs and their ancestral domains and local natural resources; House bills seeking investigation into abuses of human rights of IPs
Advocacy groups:
● President since 2020 of the Global Consortium on Indigenous Communities’ Conserved Areas
● Executive Director from 2019 to 2021 of the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights
● President from 2004 to 2007, of the Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement

Education

Principal author of R.A. No. 10929, or the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act, and is among the co-authors of R.A. No. 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act
As a senatorial candidate for 2022, advocates for the inclusion of indigenous culture in the school curriculum and for IP communities to have easier access to the formal education system

SOGIE Equality bill

As a lawmaker, filed House Bill No. 1108 on July 5, 2016, or the act prohibiting discrimination on the basis of secual orientation or gender identity (substituted by House Bill No. 4982, which was approved by the House on Sept. 20, 2017 and transmitted to the Senate on Oct. 3, 2010)

Human rights

Was a founding member of Mambabatas Para sa Karapatang Pantao, formed in March 2018 by a group of at least 13 district and party-list representatives seeking to generate support for quality human rights legislation and oppose legislative measures that pose a threat to human rights (including the alleged human rights violations under the Duterte administration), among other objectives
As a director of the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, criticized the passage of the Public Order and Safety Bill by the Parliament of Singapore in November 2020; he expressed concern about the suppression of fundamental freedoms and the safety and important work of activists and human rights defenders

Health

As a lawmaker, authored at least seven laws relating to various health issues including extended maternity leave, HIV/AIDS, mental health and nutrition, and the mandatory reporting of notifiable diseases and health events of public health concern
As a senatorial candidate for 2022, called for the government to ramp up efforts to vaccinate IP communities.

Personal Details

+

Basic information on the candidate's family, background and work experience

Name to appear on the ballot: BAGUILAT, TEDDY

Full Name: Teodoro “Teddy” Brawner Baguilat Jr.

Birthdate: July 30 1966 (55 years old on election day)

Birthplace: Manila, Metro Manila

Residence: Kiangan, Ifugao

Religion: Christian

Languages Spoken: Filipino, English

Parents:

Siblings:

Marital Status: Single

Children:

Education:

•BA Mass Communication, Major in Journalism, University of the Philippines-Diliman

Work Experience:

•President, Global Consortium for Indigenous Conserved Communities Area (ICCA Consortium), President, 2020 to present

•Executive Director, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, 2019-2021

•Chairperson, Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development

•Vice Chairman, Asian Forum of Parliamentarians for Population and Development

•Representative of the Lone District of Ifugao, House of Representatives, 2010-2019

•President, Save the Ifugao RIce Terraces Movement, 2004-2007

•Governor, Ifugao Province, 2001-2004, 2007-2010

•Mayor, Kiangan, Ifugao, 1995-2000

•Municipal Councilor of Kiangan, Ifugao, 1992-1995

•Executive Assistant to the Undersecretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, 1987-1991

Appendix

+

Major Accomplishments

Public Sector

R.A. No. 11166, or the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act

Position/Date
Principal author, 2018

Status
Approved by the president on Dec. 20, 2018

R.A. No. 11148, or the Kalusugan ng Mag-Nanay Act

Position/Date
Principal author, 2018

Status
Approved by the president on Nov. 29, 2018

R.A. No. 11210, or the 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave Law

Position/Date
Among the principal authors, 2019

Status
Approved by the president on Feb. 20, 2019

R.A. No.11215, or the National Integrated Cancer Control Act

Position/Date
Among the principal authors, 2018

Status
Approved by the president on Feb. 14, 2019

R.A. No. 11350, or the National Commission of Senior Citizens Act

Among the principal authors, 2019

Status
Approved by the president on July 25, 2019