Richard “Dick” Gordon

Though his platforms from his 2010 presidential bid did not come to fruition, Dick Gordon remains one of the most recognisable figures in national politics in the Philippines. His political career began in 1971, when he was elected as the delegate of the first district of Zambales to the Constitutional Convention drafting of the 1973 Constitution of the Philippines. He was the youngest delegate in the convention. He then served as mayor of Olongapo from 1980 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1993.

Gordon rose to prominence in national politics when he became the founding chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority from 1992 to 1998. He also served a memorable term as Secretary of Tourism from 2001 to 2004.

In 2005, Gordon became chairman and CEO of the Philippine Red Cross. He was then elected to the Senate in 2004, where he served until 2010. He returned to the Senate in 2016 and remains a prominent politician as of this writing.