Filipino politician
Zafiro Lucas Respicio (August 11, 1948 – March 10, 2014), also known by his nickname Zaf, was a Filipino politician, lawyer and political activist who served as OIC mayor of Davao City from 1986 to 1987. A former student leader, Respicio was one of the leading opposition figures in Mindanao against the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos.
Biography.
Early life and career.
Respicio was born on August 11, 1948, in Makilala, North Cotabato. He studied at the University of Mindanao in Davao City, where he served as president of the student body at the College of Law. He emerged as a prominent student leader and activist who led high-profile student demonstrations against the martial law regime under President Ferdinand Marcos.
In between his college studies, Respicio entered politics when he successfully ran for councilor of Davao City in 1971, easing out Francisco Tesorero in the 14th spot. After obtaining his law degree from the University of Mindanao, Respicio passed the bar exams and was admitted to the roll of attorneys on May 8, 1980. Respicio ran for mayor of Davao City in 1980 under the Lakas ng Bayan running against then-mayor Luis Santos of Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, former mayor Elias B. Lopez of the Nacionalista Party and independent city councilor Victorio Advincula. Respicio placed a close third behind Santos and Lopez, but his failed mayoral bid strengthened his political influence in Davao City.
In February 1982, Respicio was a co-founder of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) with future senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. He led the Davao City chapter of the PDP, which merged in February 1986 with Lakas ng Bayan, founded by opposition leader Ninoy Aquino in 1978, to form PDP–Laban. In the aftermath of Aquino's assassination in 1983, Respicio ran and won as member of the Regular Batasang Pambansa for Davao City under PDP–Laban in the 1984 Philippine parliamentary election. In the 1986 snap elections, Respicio supported the presidential candidacy of Aquino's widow Corazon, who ran against Marcos under the banner of the United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO).
Mayor of Davao City.
After the 1986 People Power Revolution that overthrew the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos, Respicio was appointed officer-in-charge mayor of Davao City in March 1986 by President Corazon Aquino. Assistant City Prosecutor Rodrigo Duterte, the son of the late Davao Governor Vicente Duterte, was named OIC vice mayor, replacing his mother Soledad Duterte who declined the OIC appointment.
During his interim mayorship, Respicio pursued a local development agenda, committed to cleanse the city government of corruption and shady deals. As OIC mayor, he received strong support from the National Assistance to Local Government Units (NALGU) through the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). In 1986, Respicio united the tribal indigenous festivals in Davao City under the name Apo Duwaling, named after the city's three iconic symbols: the Mount Apo, the Durian fruit, and the "waling-waling" orchid flower. The Apo Duwaling Festivals was later renamed Kadayawan Festival by Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in 1988.
In 1988, during the first local elections under the 1987 Constitution, Respicio ran for mayor under Lakas ng Bansa with former councilor Dominador Zuño Jr. of UNIDO as his running mate. Respicio was competing against former OIC vice mayor Rodrigo Duterte of the Lakas ng Dabaw bloc and independent radio broadcaster Jun Pala, the leader of the Alsa Masa vigilante group.
In that mayoral election, Respicio had the full backing and endorsement of President Aquino, then-DILG secretary and former mayor Luis Santos and Davao-based businessman Jesus V. Ayala, while Duterte was supported by pro-Marcos leaders in Davao City such as former mayor Lopez, former Assemblyman Manuel Garcia and the late Senator Alejandro Almendras. Respicio, with his strong popularity and solid political machinery, appeared unbeatable, with local observers noting Duterte's political obscurity and association with pro-Marcos politicians. Respicio polled strong in the 1st district while Duterte emerged victorious in the 2nd and 3rd districts, and Duterte ultimately won over Respicio by a narrow margin of 6,345 votes. Respicio filed an electoral protest over the conduct of counting, but the recount showed him losing even to Pala, who initially placed third.
Post-mayorship.
Following his defeat to Duterte, Respicio supported the 1992 presidential bid of Fidel V. Ramos. In recognition for his support, Respicio was appointed by Ramos as Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation.
Respicio was removed from the BID in August 1994 amid his alleged involvement in the case of 11 Indians who, despite facing criminal charges for drug trafficking, were allowed to leave the country in August 1994 based on a self-deportation order issued by Respicio and two associate commissioners. Respicio was convicted by Sandiganbayan in October 2006, sentencing him to 18 years of imprisonment and perpetually disqualifying him from public office. Respicio appealed the case, which was later affirmed by the Supreme Court in June 2011.
Illness and death.
Respicio suffered a heart attack while at his home in Makilala, Cotabato on March 10, 2014. He was rushed to a hospital in Kidapawan, where he died at the age of 66. At the time of his death, Respicio was suffering from diabetes and was undergoing dialysis for end-stage kidney failure. He was buried at the Respicio family lot in Makilala.
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