Orlando S. Mercado
Orlando Sanchez Mercado (, born Orlando Mercado y Sanchez; April 26, 1946), better known as Orly Mercado, is a Filipino politician and broadcast journalist best known for having served as a senator of the Philippines from 1987 to 1998, Secretary of Defense from 1998 to 2001, and for his long career as a broadcast journalist, most famously for hosting the television program "Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko". Career. Early career and Martial Law Imprisonment. Mercadio's career in Radio broadcasting began when he got a job as Disc Jockey for the program "Night Life" on Manila FM Station DZXX . He then became an ABS-CBN journalist in 1969, taking on roles as a reporter for "The World Tonight", and for the "Radyo Patrol" show on ABS CBN's sister radio station DZAQ (now DZMM). He was the head and anchor of the popular radio program "Radyo Patrol" of ABS-CBN from 1969 to 1971 as well as the field reporter for pre-Martial Law days in "The World Tonight". Upon Marcos' Proclamation No. 1081 in 1972, Orly was charged for subversion under Republic Act 1700 (Anti-Subversion Law) and was detained in Fort Bonifacio then his release after nine  and a half months in detention, he returned to broadcasting and started teaching. Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko. Since 1975 Mercado has been the current producer and host of GMA Network's "Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko" ("I Love My Fellowmen"), the pioneer television program in public service in the Philippines. Senator of the Philippines. Mercado ran and won as a senator of the Philippines for two consecutive terms, first in 1987 until 1992, and then again from 1992 to 1998. As Senator, among the measures he authored are: Secretary of National Defense. In 1998, he was appointed Secretary of National Defense  by President Joseph Estrada. On January 19, 2001, the Chief of Staff and all of the commanding generals of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, together with the rest of the military establishment, withdrew their support for President Estrada who was then facing impeachment for plunder and corruption. Their appearance before a throng of protesters at the EDSA Shrine was the culmination of what was to be known as EDSA People Power II (Second EDSA Revolution), which ousted President Estrada from office. Mercado was reappointed Secretary of Defense by incoming President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo but resigned the post in protest  of the designation of a former Chief of Staff as National Security Adviser who was also the subject of Mercado's anti-corruption campaign in the Department of National Defense. As Secretary/Minister of Department of National Defense, he: Ambassadorial positions. In 2008 Gloria Macapagal Arroyo nominated Mercado as Philippine ambassador to the China (People's Republic of China), also accredited to North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and Mongolia, however his nomination was objected to by Senator Jinggoy Estrada (son of President Estrada), then a member of the Commission on Appointments. In 2009 he was appointed as  the first permanent representative of the Philippines to ASEAN, a newly created ambassadorial post that then did not require Commission on Appointments approval. As the Philippines' first Permanent Representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he: EROPA Secretary General. He Mercado currently the Secretary-General of the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA), an organization of states, groups and individuals in the general area of Asia and the Pacific. Teaching and return to broadcasting. He has taught courses in Public Administration and Communication in the University of the Philippines where he obtained all his degrees: Bachelor of  Arts in Political Science, Master of Arts in Communication, and Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science. He is also a faculty member at the Ateneo de Manila University School of Government. On June 17, 2013, he returned to radio broadcasting with his program "Orly Mercado: All Ready" on Radyo Singko 92.3 NewsFM. Personal life and family. Mercado's wife, Dr. Susan Pineda-Mercado, former "Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko" medical director and highest-ranking Filipina in the World Health Organization (WHO), was named Special Envoy for Global Health Initiatives by the government of the Philippines in 2018. She is the Philippine  nominee for WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, a post which will be elected in the Sixty-ninth session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, 8–12 October in Manila, Philippines.