Senator Gregorio Ballesteros Honasan II was first elected to the Senate in 1995, the first truly independent candidate in Philippine political history to win in national elections. He has been elected senator four times as an independent.
His landmark contributions to legislation include the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, Solid Waste Management Act, Increasing the Monthly Old-age Pension of Senior Veterans and Increasing the Base Pay of Military and Uniformed Personnel in the Government. He is the main proponent of the National Security Policy, Freedom of Information or People’s Ownership of Government Information (POGI) Bill, National Land Use Policy, and proposed a Mini Marshall Plan for peace and development in Mindanao. He also supported the proposed amendments to the Human Security Act.
He has authored and co-authored vital laws passed in the Senate on Strengthening the Dangerous Drugs Act, Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation, Stiffer Penalties for the Illegal Possession of Explosives.
Honasan filed several bills that focused on National Security, Intelligence Reform, Land Use, Agrarian Reform, Public Order, and Lasting Peace through a Comprehensive Long-Term National Peace Policy.
