Christian Monsod

Christian Monsod
Chairperson of the Commission on Elections
In office
June 6, 1991 – February 15, 1995
Preceded byHaydee Yorac
Succeeded byBernardo P. Pardo
Member of the Philippine Constitutional Commission
In office
June 2, 1986 – October 15, 1986
PresidentCorazon Aquino
Personal details
Born
Christian Santos Monsod

Parañaque, Philippines
SpouseSolita Monsod
Children5
ProfessionLawyer

Christian Santos Monsod is a Filipino lawyer who served as chair of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). He was one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines.[1] He is the founder and honorary chair of the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) and pioneer of the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL).[2]

Early life and education

Monsod graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Law. He is a member of the Upsilon Sigma Phi.[3][4] He passed the bar examinations in 1960.[5]

Career

Monsod worked for his father upon passing the bar. He worked for the World Bank Group from 1963 to 1970, and worked there as an operations officer for about two years in Costa Rica and Panama, negotiating loans and coordinating legal, economic, and project work of the bank. Upon returning to the Philippines in 1970, he worked with the Meralco Group and served as chief executive officer of an investment bank and subsequently of a business conglomerate. In 1975, he was awarded the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award for Finance.

He served as secretary-general of NAMFREL during the 1986 Philippine presidential election and eventually as its national chair in 1987. During the Corazon Aquino administration, he was appointed chair of the Commission on Elections. Monsod was formerly co-chair of the Bishops Businessmen's Conference for Human Development and has worked with underprivileged sectors, such as farmer and urban poor groups, in initiating, lobbying for, and engaging in affirmative action for the agrarian reform law and lately the urban land reform bill. Since 1986, he has rendered services to various companies as a legal and economic consultant or chief executive officer.[5]

In 1995, he received The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Award for government service and received an honorary Doctorate of Laws from the Ateneo de Manila University.[6] In 2012, he received the Joe C. Baxter Award for his work on election administration.[7]

Personal life

He is married to Solita Monsod.[8] They have five children.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Muslim lawyers ask: Who is Sheriff Abas?". Manila Standard. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  2. ^ "Philippines: strife rises over differing vote counts. Vote-count standoff expected to bring protests". Christian Science Monitor. 1986-02-10. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  3. ^ "Upsilon Sigma Phi - History". Upsilon Sigma Phi. Archived from the original on 2020-06-26. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  4. ^ "BusinessWorld | Some members of my cast". archives.bworldonline.com. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  5. ^ a b "G.R. No. 100113 September 3, 1991 - RENATO L. CAYETANO v. CHRISTIAN MONSOD, ET AL. | Home of ChanRobles Virtual Law Library". lawlibrary.chanrobles.com. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  6. ^ "Ateneo de Manila University". 202.125.102.18. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  7. ^ "IFES - 2012 Joe C. Baxter Award Reception". 2014-09-06. Archived from the original on 2014-09-06. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  8. ^ "The love story of Mareng Winnie and Atty. Christian Monsod". GMA News Online. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  9. ^ "Straight up and straight talk with Winnie Monsod". The Manila Times. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 2020-07-17.