Richard "Dick" Gordon

Richard "Dick" Juico Gordon was born on August 5, 1945 to James Leonard Tagle Gordon and Amelia Juico Gordon, (who were both mayors of Olongapo City). In 1954, he completed his elementary education at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila and on 1962, he completed his secondary education at the Ateneo de Manila University. He stayed in Ateneo and completed his tertiary education, earning a degree of Bachelor of Arts, major in History and Government in 1966. On 1975, he graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Laws at the University of the Philippines College of Law.

In 1980, he ran as mayor of Olongapo City. In 1983, Olongapo became a highly urbanized City. Having been a victim of crime with the assassination of his father then Mayor James Leonard T. Gordon in 1967, Gordon managed to transform Olongapo from a “sin city” to “model city” with various innovations in local governance namely color coded transport system, public markets’ expansion, integrated solid waste management program, vendors’ cooperatives, community organizations and many other public and community development programs. In 1986, Gordon gave way for the Aquino appointed Officer-In-Charge after a formal written directive from the Executive Secretary representing Aquino was issued.

In the 1992 local elections, Gordon won a landslide victory and was reelected as mayor of Olongapo City. 1993, a citizen questioned Gordon's dual duty as mayor of Olongapo City and as chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. The Supreme Court decided that Gordon must hold one position. Gordon decided to vacate his position as Mayor and assumed the position of SBMA chairman in full capacity. In the 1995 local elections, his wife Katherine, a three term Congresswoman, was elected mayor of Olongapo.

During the late 1990s, Gordon became one of Joseph Estrada's vocal critics over differences on the US Naval Base. After winning by a large margin during the 1998 presidential elections, President Estrada issued Administrative Order No. 1 removing Gordon as Chairman of SBMA. Estrada appointed Felicito Payumo, Gordon's critic and congressman of Bataan as new chairman. The removal process was not easy. Hundreds of volunteers barricated the gates of SBMA and Gordon locked himself inside the SBMA Administrative Office Building 229. The issue sparked the interest local and foreign press known as the Showdown at Subic. Gordon filed for a temporary restraining order before the local court. The local court of Olongapo granted Gordon's request but Payumo's party filed an appeal before the Court of Appeals. The CA reversed the local court's ruling and it was affirmed by the Supreme Court G.R. No. 134171. With the Supreme Court decision, Gordon called Payumo and turned over the reins of SBMA at the Subic Bay Yacht Club two months later on 3 September 1998.

In the 2004 national elections, Gordon ran as senator of the Philippines. In the initial public opinion survey, Filipinos were lukewarm on electing Gordon as senator. But with his very positive personality and achievements aired in TV and radio advertisements, public opinion changed and Gordon won and received the fifth highest number of votes from the electorate.