Rene Cayetano

Renato "Rene" Luna Cayetano (Tagalog: [rɛˈnɛ kajɛˈtano]; December 12, 1934 – June 25, 2003), commonly known as Compañero, was a Filipino lawyer, television presenter, journalist, and politician. He served in the Regular Batasang Pambansa, representing the lone district of the Metro Manila municipalities of Taguig, Pateros and Muntinlupa, from 1984 until its abolition in 1986. He then served as a Senator from 1998 to 2003.^[1][2]

Early life and education

Cayetano was born on December 12, 1934, in San Carlos, Pangasinan, Philippines. He was the eldest son of mechanic Pedro Santiago Cayetano of Marilao, Bulacan and public school teacher Julianna Cabrera-Luna of Pateros, Rizal.^[1]

Legal career

Rene Cayetano was a founding partner of the Cayetano, Sebastian, Dado and Cruz Law Office, chairman of the House of Delegates and governor of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and, with Juan Ponce Enrile, co-founder of the Pecabar (Ponce Enrile Cayetano Bautista & Reyes) Law Offices.^[1]

Political career

After his 1984 election as an assemblyman to the Regular Batasang Pambansa, he was appointed Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry Administrator of the Export Processing Zone Authority (now Philippine Export Zone Authority). In November 1985, he filed a resolution expressing opposition to the United States' Textile and Apparel Trade Enforcement Act of 1985, a bill seeking to limit textile imports from several non-European countries, calling it "plain and pure discrimination" and stating that "this will affect an estimated 200,000 workers, 440 garment companies and a possible loss of 434 million dollars in the Philippines.^[1]

Legislator

In May 1998, Cayetano was elected senator, garnering the second highest number of votes. The freshman senator became the Chairman of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights and Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Public Order and Illegal Drugs. He is also the Minority Leader of the Commission on Appointments and was a member of the Judicial Bar Council and BIR Oversight Committee.^[1]

Personal life

Rene Cayetano was married to Sandra Schramm, an American kindergarten teacher and writer from Ann Arbor, Michigan. They had four children:^[1]

Death

Cayetano peacefully died from the complications of abdominal cancer and liver cancer on June 25, 2003, at his home in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa. He is buried at the Garden of Memories Memorial Park in his hometown of Pateros. In 2005, the school "Senator Renato "Companero" Cayetano Memorial Science and Technology High School" was built in memory of him.^[1]

Legacy

Rene L. Cayetano Memorial School - Barangay Maligaya, Mariveles, Bataan^[1]