Carlos Fortich

Career

Fortich served as governor of Bukidnon in several non-consecutive terms. He was first elected as governor in 1968 until 1978 when he was elected to the Interim Batasang Pambansa under President Ferdinand Marcos' Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL). When the interim legislature ended and was replaced by the Regular Batasang Pambansa in 1984, he was succeeded by Lorenzo S. Dinlayan and Jose Ma. R. Zubiri. and thus avoided being immediately replaced with a caretaker governor after the People Power Revolution ousted Marcos and had Corazon Aquino installed as president, with Fortich later burning an image of Marcos and his wife Imelda in Malaybalay. He would be replaced as governor in December 1987 by vice governor Esmeraldo Cudal. after which he launched a failed bid to get elected as mayor of Valencia in 2001 before deciding to retire from politics. He was 83 years old. His remains were buried at the Shepherds Meadow Memorial Park in Malaybalay.