Bam Aquino

Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aguirre Aquino IV (, born May 7, 1977) is a Filipino politician and social entrepreneur who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 2013 to 2019. He is a member of the prominent Aquino family.

Early life and Education
He took Bachelor of Science in Management Engineering at Ateneo de Manila University.

Pre-politics activities
Aquino was also one of the hosts of the morning TV show Breakfast, a youth-oriented talk show on Studio 23. In 2006, Aquino hosted the youth-oriented debate show Y Speak, also on Studio 23.

In 2009, Aquino played the role of his uncle Ninoy Aquino, in the documentary film, The Last Journey of Ninoy. The film premiered on August 21, 2009, in commemoration of the 26th anniversary of the assassination of Ninoy.

Before becoming a senator, Aquino became the President of MicroVentures, Inc., a social enterprise company that manages the Hapinoy Program which provides micro-financing, training and access to new business opportunities for women micro-entrepreneurs. For his efforts, Aquino was named as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines in the category of Social Enterprise and Community Development. He was also chosen as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World in 2012.

He was also a Board Member of Rags2Riches, Venture for Fundraising, and the Coca-Cola Foundation.

Senator
Running under the Team PNoy coalition of his cousin, President Benigno Aquino III, he won in the 2013 elections and placed 7th with 15,388,992 votes. As Senator, Aquino chaired the Committee on Science and Technology from 2016 to 2019. He was also a member of the following committees:


 * Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon)
 * Committee on Agriculture and Food
 * Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies
 * Committee on Civil Service and Government Reorganization
 * Committee on Cooperatives
 * Committee on Cultural Communities
 * Committee on Education, Arts and Culture
 * Committee on Energy
 * Committee on Environment and Natural Resources
 * Committee on Games, Amusement and Sports
 * Committee on Health and Demography
 * Committee on Local Government
 * Committee on National Defense and Security
 * Committee on Peace, Unification and Reconciliation
 * Committee on Public Information and Mass Media
 * Committee on Rules
 * Committee on Science and Technology
 * Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development
 * Committee on Ways and Means
 * Senate Electoral Tribunal

He was the former chairman of the Committee on Education Culture and Arts from July 2016 until his removal from the position in February 2017 due to his opposition to legislation backed by President Rodrigo Duterte. He was chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship and Committee on Youth from July 2013 to June 2016.

Aquino passed more than 40 laws during his first five and half years in office.
 * Republic Act No. 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act
 * Republic Act No. 10929, or Free Internet Access in Public Space
 * Republic Act No. 10693, or Microfinance NGOs Act
 * Republic Act No. 10911, or Anti Age-Discrimination Act
 * Republic Act No. 10821, or Children's Emergency Relief and Protection Act
 * Republic Act No. 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA)
 * Republic Act No. 10909, or No Shortchanging Act
 * Republic Act No. 10644, or the Go Negosyo Act
 * Republic Act No. 10642, or the Philippine Lemon Law
 * Republic Act No. 10667, or the Philippine Competition Act
 * Republic Act No. 10668, or the Foreign Ships Co-Loading Act
 * Republic Act No. 10679, or the Youth Entrepreneurship Act
 * Republic Act No. 10742, or the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act
 * Republic Act No. 10693, or the Microfinance NGOs Act
 * Republic Act No. 10744, or the Credit Surety Fund Act of 2014
 * Republic Act No. 10756, or the Election Service Reform Act of 2014
 * Republic Act No. 10755, or the Act Authorizing the Punong Barangay to Administer the Oath of Office
 * Republic Act No. 10844, or the Department of Information and Communication Technology Act of 2015
 * Republic Act No. 10754, or the Act Expanding the Benefits and Privileges of Persons with Disability
 * Republic Act No. 10905, or Closed Caption Broadcasting of Television Programs Act
 * Republic Act No. 11054, or the Bangsamoro Organic Law
 * Republic Act No. 11106, or the Filipino Sign Language Act

Aquino ran for re-election as senator as one of the Otso Diretso candidates. He failed to win his re-election bid, placing 14th overall with 14,144,923 votes, the highest among any Otso Diretso candidate. Aquino was quoted that "There are 14 million people who voted for an Aquino during the time of Duterte. That's something." According to his wife, he might return to his social entrepreneurship initiatives after his term ended on June 30, 2019.

Post-Senate
On July 19, 2019, the PNP–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed charges against Aquino and other members of the opposition for "sedition, cyber libel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal, and obstruction of justice". On February 10, 2020, he was cleared of all charges.

2022 elections
Aquino initially planned to run for senator in the 2022 Philippine Senate election. However, on October 7, 2021, he revealed that Vice President Leni Robredo had offered him the role of campaign manager for her presidential campaign in the 2022 Philippine presidential election, which she launched earlier that day. Aquino accepted the offer instead to focus on "this essential and daunting challenge." Robredo would later go on to lose the presidential election to former Senator Bongbong Marcos, as she placed second in the official tally.

Post-2022 elections
In 2023, Aquino, who is also an esports gamer, established his gaming content platform known as BAM Gaming. In May 2024, he began co-hosting Rekta: Agenda ng Masa, a radio program on DZRH and DZRH News Television.

Departure from the Liberal Party
In a television interview in 2024, Aquino announced he had already left the Liberal Party and became chairman of the Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KANP). He also announced plans to run for the Senate in the 2025 elections.

Personal life
Bam Aquino was born on May 7, 1977 in Manila to Paul Aquino, a son of Benigno Aquino Sr., and Melanie (née Aguirre) Aquino.

His grandfather, Benigno Sr., served as a congressman from Tarlac's 2nd District (1919–28), a senator from the 3rd District (1928–34), and Speaker of the National Assembly of the Japanese-puppet state of the Philippines from 1943 to 1944. He on trial for Treason after World War II for collaborating with the Japanese, and eventually became the 6th Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines (1943–44).

Under President Ferdinand Marcos' regime, his uncle Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., a former senator (1967–72), was exiled in the United States from 1980 until 1983 when he returned to the Philippines and was assassinated at Manila International Airport.

In 1986, Marcos fled into exile and Ninoy's wife, Corazon Aquino, became the first female President of the Philippines. His uncle Butz and aunt Teresa also served as senators. His cousin, Benigno Aquino III, was elected the 15th President of the Philippines in 2010, which he served until 2016.

He is married to Maria Fatima Gomez. They have two daughters.