Rodolfo Bagunu Albano Jr. (March 27, 1934 – November 5, 2019) was a Filipino lawyer and politician. He served as House majority leader from 1995 to 1998 and as House minority leader from 1987 to 1989. Referred to as "Lakay Rudy" by his constituents, he represented Isabela's first district in the House of Representatives in the 8th to 10th, 12th, and 15th Congresses, and the province's lone district during the 7th Congress. He represented the LPGMA Partylist from June 2019 until his death in office in November of the same year. He was also a member of the Batasang Pambansa from 1978 to 1986.
Albano served as chairperson of the Energy Regulatory Commission from 2004 to 2008 under the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
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Early life and education
Albano was born on March 27, 1934 in Cabagan, Isabela to former representative Rodolfo Delfin Albano and Alfreda Bagunu, the scion of a landowning family. His paternal grandfather, Francisco Albano, was a carabao trader who immigrated to Cabagan from Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.
He obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree at the Manuel L. Quezon University, and was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1957.
Career
Early career
Albano started out as his father's secretary. He was elected vice governor of Isabela in November 1959, after the Local Autonomy Act of 1959 provided for the creation of the offices of governor and vice governor. He served from January 1, 1960 until December 31, 1963 under governor Melanio Singson.
House of Representatives (1969–1973)
Albano ran for Isabela's lone district, his father's former congressional seat, in 1969 and was elected to serve in the 7th Congress, holding office until the imposition of martial law.
Presiding Judge of 16th Circuit Criminal Court (1975–1978)
In 1975, Albano was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos as presiding judge of the 16th Circuit Criminal Court in Davao City.
Batasang Pambansa (1978–1986)
In 1978, Albano ran under the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) ticket for one of the three contested seats for Region II in the Interim Batasang Pambansa. He placed second and served until 1984, when he was elected to the Regular Batasang Pambansa as an at-large representative for Isabela. He served until 1986, when the parliament was abolished following the People Power Revolution.
House of Representatives (1987–1998; 2001–2004)
Albano ran for the newly-created first district of Isabela in the 1987 House elections and won as a member of the KBL. He was designated minority floor leader after losing the speakership to Ramon Mitra Jr. On October 20, 1989, he resigned as minority leader to give way to Mohammad Ali Dimaporo, following an agreement within the minority bloc to rotate the position. He later joined the majority bloc under speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. in 1995 and was elected majority leader and chairperson of the House Committee on Rules. Albano served a total of three terms until 1998. During this time, Albano supported efforts in Congress to allow for the return of the remains of deposed President Ferdinand Marcos.
After a one-term hiatus, he successfully ran for the House again in 2001 under Lakas–CMD.
Chair of the Energy Regulatory Commission (2004–2008)
Albano resigned his House seat on January 21, 2004, after being appointed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as chairperson of the Energy Regulatory Commission. He served until the expiration of his term on July 9, 2008.
House of Representatives (2010–2013)
Albano ran for a fifth term in Isabela's first district and was elected as its representative in the 15th Congress.
Mayor of Cabagan (2013–2016)
He ran for mayor of his hometown of Cabagan in 2013 and won.
House of Representatives (2019)
Albano was the first nominee of the LPGMA Partylist in the 2019 House elections. The party-list placed 47th in the election and won one seat. He died in office on November 5, 2019, following a heart attack. He was later honored by the House of Representatives as one of its longest-serving members.
Personal life and death
Albano was married to Josefina Sia Taguinod, a former school teacher, with whom he had six children: Rodolfo III, Maria Sol, Emmanuel, Mila, Antonio, and Lourdes Martina. Josefina died in 1998.
Albano died from heart failure on November 5, 2019.