Niel Tupas Sr.

Niel Tupas Sr.
Governor of Iloilo
In office June 30, 2001 – June 30, 2010
Preceded by	Arthur Defensor Sr.
Succeeded by	Arthur Defensor Sr.
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Iloilo's 5th District
In office June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1998
Preceded by	Mariano Peñaflorida
Succeeded by	Rolex T. Suplico
Member of the Interim Batasang Pambansa from Western Visayas
In office June 12, 1978 – June 5, 1984
Municipal Mayor of Barotac Viejo
In office January 1, 1972 – June 11, 1978
Personal details
Born	(1932-11-27)November 27, 1932 Bay-ang, Ajuy, Iloilo
Died	November 24, 2015(2015-11-24) (aged 82) Quezon City, Philippines
Spouse	Myrna Causing Tupas
Children	Niel "Junjun" Tupas Jr. Raul "Boboy" Tupas Niel "Beng" Tupas III Nielette "Tweetie" Tupas-Balleza Dr. Darling Tupas Nielex Tupas Bongbong Tupas
Occupation	Politician, Assemblyman

Niel D. Tupas Sr. (November 27, 1932 – November 24, 2015) was the Governor of the province of Iloilo, a representative of the 5th District of the same province to the Batasang Pambansa (1978–1984) and Philippine Congress (1987–1998), and mayor of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo.

Tupas was a Bachelor of Law graduate and the first President of the Municipal Mayors' League of Iloilo in 1973 and Municipal Mayors' League of the Philippines. He was also the President of Western Visaya's Municipal Mayors' League in 1977. Tupas is the father of incumbent Iloilo representative Niel Tupas Jr.

Biography

Tupas obtained his pre-law his Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines in 1957 and passed the Bar in the same year.

Political life

After unsuccessful attempts for Congress, he won the post of municipal mayor of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo in 1972, where he served for seven years. In 1978, he was elected as assemblyman in the Batasang Pambansa. In 1987, he was elected as congressman, serving a total of 11 years as legislator under the new democratic government.

In 2001, Niel Tupas was elected governor of Iloilo. He led Iloilo Province to several national awards, especially in the anti-illegal gambling against jueteng campaign, stopping illegal fishing, and the clean and green program. He was re-elected in 2004 and once more during the May 12, 2007 elections, where he is now on his third term. He also sits as member of the Council of Advisers of the League of Provinces of the Philippines.

Gov. Tupas and Mrs. Tupas have seven children, many of whom hold political office: they are the parents of Congressman Niel Tupas Jr., the mayor of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, Niel Tupas III and Lex Tupas. Mrs Tupas herself served three times as municipal mayor of Municipality of Barotac Viejo.

Gov. Tupas was charged for graft and corruption before the Ombudsman for granting a quarry permit to an unqualified contractor who was said to have partnered with a mining company owned by the in-laws of his son Raul. The Ombudsman ordered Tupas dismissed in 2007, but his reelection in the same year made the penalty unenforceable.

In September 2015, 2 months before his death, Tupas Sr., together with three local government officials was charged of graft by the Sandiganbayan on the case of anomalous payments to Green Core Geothermal, Inc for the unconsumed electricity worth P4 million pesos of the Iloilo provincial government from 2009-2010 under his term as the province governor. He was later filed bail for the case and the anti-graft court withdrawed the arrest warrant.

Positions held

• 1972-1978 - Mayor, Barotac Viejo, Iloilo
• 1973 - First President, Municipal's League of Iloilo
• 1977 - President, Western Visayas Municipal's League and First President, Mayor's League of the Philippines
• 1978-1984 - Assemblyman, Batasang Pambansa for Region VI
• 1987-1998 - Representative, 5th District Privince of Iloilo
• 2001-2010 - Governor of Iloilo

Death

Tupas Sr. died due to multiple organ failure brought about by prostate cancer while he confined at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City on the early morning of November 24, 2015 at the age of 82, just 3 days before his 83rd Birthday.