Nur Jaafar

Not to be confused with Iraqi psychologist Nuri Ja'far.

In this Filipino name, the middle name or maternal family name is Gaspar and the surname or paternal family name is Jaafar.

Nur Jaafar
Official portrait, 2010
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines for Mindanao
In office January 24, 2001 – June 30, 2001
Preceded by	Daisy Avance Fuentes
Succeeded by	Abdulgani Salapuddin
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives for Tawi-Tawi's at-large district
In office August 3, 2006 – June 30, 2013
Preceded by	Anuar Abubakar
Succeeded by	Ruby Sahali
In office June 30, 1992 – June 30, 2001
Preceded by	Romulo Espaldon
Succeeded by	Soraya Jaafar
Governor of Tawi-Tawi
In office 1976–1986
Preceded by	Romulo Espaldon
Succeeded by	Almarim Tillah
Vice Governor of Tawi-Tawi
In office 1973–1976
Governor	Romulo Espaldon
Preceded by	Mohamad Amilhasan
Succeeded by	Hadjiril Matba
Personal details
Born	Nur Gaspar Jaafar (1944-07-01)July 1, 1944
Party	NPC (2010–present)
Other political affiliations	Lakas (1995–1998; 2004–2010) LAMMP (1998–2001) LDP (1992–1995) KBL (1980–1986)

Nur "Nong" Gaspar Jaafar (born July 1, 1944) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Philippine House of Representatives for Tawi-Tawi's at-large congressional district from 1992 to 2001 and 2006 to 2013. From January to June 2001, he briefly held the position of deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. Currently a member of the Nationalist People's Coalition, he was previously vice governor of Tawi-Tawi from 1973 to 1976, and governor from 1976 to 1986.

Early life

Jaafar was born on July 1, 1944, in the province of Tawi-Tawi.

Career

Jaafar (seated, right) with representatives from the ARMM in the 14th Congress

Jaafar is a lawyer by profession. In 1973, upon the conversion of Tawi-Tawi into a new province after being part of Sulu, Romulo Espaldon was appointed provincial military governor, with Mohamad Amilhasan as vice governor. Jaafar later replaced Amilhasan as officer-in-charge vice governor after he joined the regional Bureau of Internal Revenue office in Zamboanga City.

Jaafar was later appointed governor in 1976, after the Election Code of 1971 provided for the end of the terms of local elective officials in 1975, as endorsed by Espaldon and former Moro National Liberation Front commander Hadjiril Matba to President Ferdinand Marcos. Jaafar would later be elected to a full term in 1980, serving until 1986.

Jaafar later ran for the House of Representatives for Tawi-Tawi's lone district seat in 1992, and was reelected two more times in 1995 and 1998 before being term-limited. In January 2001, after a leadership change following the resignation of Arnulfo Fuentebella as speaker of the House, Jaafar was elected deputy speaker, replacing Daisy Avance Fuentes, and served until the end of his congressional term. He was succeeded in his seat by his daughter Soraya Jaafar.

He later sought a new term in 2004 after an election cycle, but placed second to Anuar Abubakar. Jaafar filed an electoral protest against Abubakar before the House Electoral Tribunal on allegations of fraud, ballot substitution, and other irregularities. The tribunal found that Jaafar received 27,257 valid votes compared to Abubakar's total of 25,705, and it later annulled Abubakar's proclamation on June 30, 2006, and declared Jaafar as the duly elected representative. Abubakar elevated the decision to the Supreme Court, which ruled that the tribunal did not act with grave abuse of discretion. Jaafar assumed his seat in August 2006. He was reelected twice, in 2007 and 2010.

Jaafar attempted to return to politics during his 2013 gubernatorial bid under the Nationalist People's Coalition, but lost to incumbent governor Sadikul Sahali's son Nurbert Sahali. He has since retired from public office.

Electoral history

Electoral history of Nur Jaafar

Year	Office	Party		Votes received				Result
				Total	%	P.	Swing
1992	Representative (Tawi-Tawi)		LDP	20,457	34.27%	1st	—N/a	Won
1995			Lakas	30,535	40.56%	1st	+6.29	Won
1998				39,581	—N/a	1st	—N/a	Won
2004				27,257	—N/a	1st	—N/a	Won
2007				51,593	—N/a	1st	—N/a	Won
2010				58,552	52.95%	1st	—N/a	Won
1980	Governor of Tawi-Tawi		KBL	—N/a	—N/a	1st	—N/a	Won
2013			NPC	12,303	14.24%	3rd	—N/a	Lost