Napoleon G. Rama

Napoleon "Nap" Genson Rama, PLH (July 27, 1923 – January 10, 2016) was a Filipino lawyer, journalist, and writer in English and Spanish from Cebu, Philippines who co-founded the political party Lakas ng Bayan (Laban) alongside imprisoned politician Benigno Aquino Jr. He was the Vice President of the 1971 Constitutional Convention and the Floor Leader of the 1986 Constitutional Commission. In 2011, he was awarded the Philippine Legion of Honor, the country's highest recognition, with the rank of Grand Commander on the 25th anniversary of the First EDSA Revolution by President Benigno Aquino III.

Early life Napoleon Rama, son of statesman Vicente Rama and Catalina Aquilana Genson, was born on July 27, 1923. He married Paz Ramos and the couple had five children, namely Liza Grace, Napoleon Jr., Ma. Gina Linda, Ma. Pamela and Ronald. He wrote for the Philippines Free Press, and his article "North Borneo Belongs To Us" was a landmark publication that was used by the Philippines as a basis to claim Borneo. Awarded "Journalist of the Year" in 1959, he worked for the Philadelphia Bulletin in the United States and was the editor of El Observatorio, a Spanish newspaper in Cebu. and was the president of the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC) twice.

Politics He served as delegate and the Vice President of the 1971 Constitutional Convention when it opened on June 1, 1971, and was part of the group that initiated Ban Marcos resolution that prohibited Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda from being part of the Convention

At the height of the martial law in the Philippines, he was incarcerated at the Fort Bonifacio in 1972. A petition for habeas corpus was filed on their behalf.

Together with his friend Benigno Aquino Jr., he founded the political party Lakas ng Bayan (LABAN) In 1978, he ran for the Interim Batasang Pambansa elections and lost as it was dominated by KBL candidates.

After EDSA revolution, he was appointed by then President Corazon Aquino as delegate of the Constitutional Commission that drafted the 1987 Philippine Constitution He succumbed to diabetes and pneumonia at St. Luke's Hospital in Quezon City and died on January 10, 2016. boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc; boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9; boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc; boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc; boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe; 1= 1. Napoleon G. Rama 2= 2. Vicente Rama 3= 3. Catalina Aquilana Genson 4= 4. Gabriel "Abi" Raffiñan y Buzón 5= 5. Engilberta "Iya Bita" Ramas y Enguio 10= 10. Laurente Ramas 11= 11. Juana Enguio y Mangila 22= 22. Ramón Enguio 23= 23. Teodora Mangila

Awards and recognition Rama was a recipient of the following honors and awards: 2011 Philippine Legion of Honor (Grand Commander Rank) 1959 Journalist of the Year in United States 1990 Ninoy Aquino Memorial Award 1992 Premio Zobel Most Outstanding Alumnus of the University of San Carlos of Cebu

Publication A Time in the Life of a Filipino (9 September 2008)