Ramon Revilla Jr. popularly known as Bong Revilla is a Filipino actor, politician and Senator of the Republic of the Philippines.
Born Jose Marie Mortel Bautista on September 25, 1966 to Ramon Revilla (Jose Acuna Bautista) and Azucena Mortel Bautista. On 1977, he finished his elementary education at the Jesus Good Shepherd School in Imus, Cavite. It has not been documented that he finished his secondary education at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, California. he did attend the school though.
Acting Career:
Revilla is known for his lead roles in numerous action movies during the 1980s and the 1990s. He also starred in a few movies alongside his father, Ramon Revilla. Recently, he has been involved in a number of comedy related movies and TV shows in GMA-7.
Politcal and Public Service Career:
As a native of Cavite, he made several films focusing in his home province. Revilla also made several charity works for the province through the RRJ Foundation Inc. He was invited by former NBI director Epimaco Velasco to be his running mate as Vice Governor of Cavite. In the 1995 local elections, Velasco and Revilla won as governor and vice governor beating the Remullas who dominated the Cavite political arena since the 1980s.
On February 1998, Velasco resigned as governor of Cavite when he was appointed as secretary of Interior and Local Government replacing then Senatorial candidate Robert Barbers. Revilla assumed as the chief executive of the province. In the May 1998 local elections, Revilla defeated the returning Juanito Remulla for the position of governor.
In January 2001, Revilla joined the EDSA II Rally and asked for the resignation of President Joseph Estrada. His participation was a widely used topic in the May 2001 local elections. Revilla lost to Cavite congressman Erineo “Ayong” Maliksi as governor of Cavite. Former governor Remulla's son and Malisksi's running mate Juanito Victor "JonVic" Remulla won as vice governor.
Revilla returned to his acting career and became a TV actor in GMA-7's sitcom Idol ko si Kap. In 2002, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appointed Revilla as Chairman of the Videogram Regulatory Board (now Optical Media Board). Revilla became a popular figure in reducing optical media piracy in the Philippines. Due to his efforts, he was given a Plaque of International Recognition for Efforts Against Piracy by the Motion Picture Association of America on July 23, 2003 and the Huwarang Lingkod Bayan Award by the Consumers League of the Philippines Foundation, Inc. on October 25, 2003.
On February 2004, he resigned as Chairman of the VRB and recommend Eduardo "Edu" Manzano as his replacement. His father, Ramon Revilla ends term as senator on June 30, 2004. Revilla Sr. was elected senator in 1992, reelected 1998, and cannot run for third term according to the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Bong Revilla ran for the position of Senator under the administration K-4 coalition. He won and received the second highest number of votes from the national electorate.
On March 28, 2007, he jumped onto a bus being held hostage in the Philippines in order to ensure the safety of the students on the bus and try and talk the hostage taker into giving themselves up.
Personal Life:
He married Lani Mercado (Jesusa Victoria Hernandez Bautista) in 1987 in a civil wedding. They have six children namely: Leonard Bryan (born November 22, 1986), Jose Lorenzo (Ramon "Jolo" Revilla III, born March 15, 1988), Inah Felicia (born October 2, 1989), Ma. Viktoria Gianna (born August 15, 1995), Ma. Franzel Loudette (born October 15, 1997) and Ramon Vicente (born December 8, 1998). He also has another son out of wedlock with Lovely de Guzman, a University of the Philippines political science graduate, formerly of White Plains.
In the Philippine Centennial celebrations, Revilla portrayed General Emilio Aguinaldo. To highlight the celebrations, he and Lani remarried in through church wedding using the same costume they used in the centennial.
He is also the older brother of Strike Revilla, the incumbent mayor of their hometown of Bacoor, Cavite.
Bong's children, Bryan, Jolo and Inah, were also third-generation stars of Revilla Family.
