Ignacio Bunye

Ateneo de Manila University

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson

Aries

Before he joined politics in l986, Bunye had been a reporter of DZMT, the radio station of the old Manila Times, and later as reporter of the Daily Star

A lawyer by profession, Bunye has served in various executive positions at the Ayala Group of Companies, including as Assistant Vice President of the Ayala Investment and Development Corporation and the Bank of the Philippine Islands.

When former President Corazon Aquino took over power after the downfall of former President Ferdinand Marcos in l986, Bunye was designated Officer-in-Charge of the municipality of Muntinlupa.

He became the duly elected Mayor of Muntinlupa from l988 to l995. As Muntinlupa Mayor, Bunye served as Chairman of the then Metropolitan Manila Authority in a concurrent capacity, from l991-1992.

Toward the end of his term as Mayor, Bunye laid the foundation for the establishment of the Ospital ng Muntinlupa through the acquisition of a five-hectare lot within the Filinvest Corporate City, which is also the site of the future Civic Center Complex.

In Congress, Bunye continued to champion the cause of local governments, especially in providing them with greater fiscal autonomy.

Originally a member of the minority, Bunye became one of the fiscalizers of the 11th Congress. But with the change of leadership toward the end of the 11th Congress, he became the Senior Deputy Majority Floor Leader.

A valedictorian during his elementary and secondary education, Bunye finished both his AB in Political Science and Bachelor of Laws from the Ateneo de Manila. He also hold a Master's Degree in Management from the Asian Institute of Management.

Bunye, who is a lifetime member of the National Press Club, has written a number of articles published in the Daily Star, including a four-part series entitled "War Vignettes," a first-person account of events immediately after the Tet Offensive in South Vietnam in l968.