Charito Planas

Rosario "Charito" Lim Planas (April 28, 1930 – December 7, 2017)^[1] was a Filipino lawyer, environmentalist, politician, and human rights activist. She is the younger sister of first female Manila Vice Mayor Carmen Planas.

Early life

Planas was born on April 28, 1930 in Tondo, Manila during the American administration of the Philippines.^[2]

Career

Activism against Marcos

After graduating in the University of the Philippines with law degree, she fought against the Marcos' dictatorship by protesting before the Supreme Court, through Planas vs. Comelec, the plebiscite that ratified the 1973 Constitution.^[3] Like other Marcos' opponents, she was later arrested by the authorities and detained with some of other opponents. She was placed under solitary confinement when the authorities aware of boosting up the morale of another anti-Marcos detainees.^[3]

Exile in the United States

Planas escaped the authorities and gone for Sabah, and noted for being "rescued" by some US officials. She later flown to New York to live in-exile. An impoverished freedom fighter, she worked with another in-exiled anti-Marcos Filipino dissenters, spoke at rallies to denounce the dictatorship, lobbied to the US legislators for halting of military aid to the Philippine government. She also interviewed on television and writing the regime situation in newspapers in New York.

In order to sustain everyday life, she worked in telemarketing to demonstrating food products at supermarkets, and delivering pizza. Despite donations, specifically food and cash from sympathizers (Filipinos and Americans), she had small income and living in a poorly-ventilated and cold space in the basement of an apartment building, of which she only have rented.^[4][5]

Political career

Planas became a candidate for Metro Manila in the 1978 Batasang Pambansa elections under the banner of Lakas ng Bayan led by Ninoy Aquino, who is imprisoned. But all of the candidates, including her lost.^[6]

After returning in exile, she was the one who helped to revive the Liberal Party.^[7]

She ran for mayor of Quezon City in 1988, but lost to incumbent mayor Brigido Simon Jr.

In 1992, she was picked by then-Congressman Mel Mathay to be his running mate in the mayoral elections, and the tandem subsequently won election.^[2]

In 1998, she lost the mayoralty race against then-incumbent mayor Mathay.

She served as the spokesperson of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as undersecretary in the Office of the President from 2009 until 2010.^[7]

Personal life

At the age of 87, Planas died in her sleep at her residence in Marikina.^[2][8]

References

1. ^ Fortich, Chic & Planas, Charito (1991). Escape! Charito Planas: Her Story. Quezon City: New Day Publishers. p. 2. ISBN 9711004801.
2. ^ Interaksyon (2017-12-07). "Former QC Vice Mayor Charito Planas, stalwart of the anti-Marcos dictatorship movement, dies". Interaksyon. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
3. ^ Bueza, Michael (2017-12-07). "Ex-Quezon City vice mayor Charito Planas dies". RAPPLER. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
4. ^ Fortich, Chic (1991). "Life in a Basement, Earning for a Living". Escape! Charito Planas: Her Story. Quezon City: New Day Publishers. pp. 148–156. ISBN 9711004801.
5. ^ Torrevillas, Domini M. (July 21, 2011). "Charito Planas' 'escape' revisited". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
6. ^ Roces, Alejandro R. (August 24, 2006). "Lakas ng Bayan candidates". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
7. ^ "Liberal Party mourns passing of Charito Planas". GMA News Online. 2017-12-08. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
8. ^ "Quezon City honors ex-vice mayor Charito Planas". Philstar.com. December 8, 2017. Retrieved 2024-10-04.