Former Muntinlupa Mayor and Congressman Ignacio "Toting" Bunye formally assumed the post of Presidential Spokesperson on January 20, 2003.

He previously held the position of the Press Secretary from July 16, 2002 to January 19, 2003.

On August 24, 2004, he was again appointed as Press Secretary and concurrently as Spokesperson.

A valedictorian during his elementary and secondary education, Bunye earned the degrees of Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Bachelor of Laws from the Ateneo de Manila University. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Management from the Asian Institute of Management.

Bunye, a lifetime member of the National Press Club, began his work in media as a working student at the Ateneo de Manila, first, as a reporter of DZMT, the radio station of the old Manila Times, and later, as reporter of the Daily Star.

He was recently inducted as a member of the Manila Overseas Press Club.

As a DZMT reporter, he covered the Vietnam War and wrote a documentary entitled "The Other War," a first person account of the activities of the Philippine Civic Action Group in Tay Ninh, South Vietnam. At the Daily Star, he wrote a number of articles, including a four-part series entitled "War Vignettes," a first-person account of events immediately after the Tet Offensive in South Vietnam in l968.

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 assumed office after the EDSA People Power Revolution in l986, Bunye was designated Officer-in-Charge of the Municipality of Muntinlupa.

He was duly elected as 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.

In l995, Bunye was again reelected as Mayor of Muntinlupa for his last three-year term. During his 12-year stewardship, Muntinlupa metamorphosed from a fifth-class municipality into a highly-urbanized city. Adopting proven corporate practices that he gained from working in the private sector, Bunye streamlined operations and cut red tape, thus making Muntinlupa City the business-friendly community that it is today.

He founded the Muntinlupa Polytechnic College, the city’s public college.

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.

Barred by law to seek a fourth consecutive term as mayor, Bunye ran for Congress in l998 and became the first Congressman from the lone district of Muntinlupa City.

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. With the change of leadership toward the end of the 11th Congress, he became the Senior Deputy Majority Floor Leader.

Bunye writes weekly columns for the Manila Bulletin (Speaking Out) and for People’s Journal, People’s Tonight and People’s Taliba (View From the Palace).

Bunye is married to Dr. Miraflor Oca-Bunye and has three children.

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