Background
He is the son of the late former senator Lorenzo M. Tañada, known as "grand old man of the Philippine politics".
He is the son of the late former senator Lorenzo M. Tañada, known as "grand old man of the Philippine politics".
Tañada studied at Quezon Elementary School from 1942 to 1944. He finished his elementary and secondary education at Ateneo de Manila University in 1948.
In 1944, he transferred to Gumaca Central School. The next year he moved to Saint John"s Academy. He received his Bachelor of Arts at Ateneo de Manila University in 1952.
In 1956, he received his Bachelor of Law degree at Manuel L. Quezon University and passed the bar exams four years later.
He received his Master of Law degree at Harvard Law School. On March 7, 1986, Tañada was appointed commissioner of the Bureau of Customs.
In 1991, he led the "Magnificent 12", the group of the senators who support the rejection of a new lease for the Subic Bay Naval Base. The next year, he ran again for senator under the banner of Liberal Party-PDP-Laban Alliance, and he was elected for a three-year term.
In 1993, he became the president of the Liberal Party.
He was re-elected on 1998. In 2001, he ran again for senator under the banner of Liberal Party (People Power Coalition) but he lost.
He is member of the Liberal Party and a former member of the Senate of the Philippines(1987–1995) and Philippine House of Representatives representing the Quezon"s 4th District (1995–2001). In the same year, he became a member of Judicial Bar Council. After his tenure as a senator on 1995, he was elected as a member of the Philippine House of Representatives representing the Quezon"s 4th District.