Our old politics was fair
THE first big break for Filipino politicians came after the adoption of the Jones Law of 1916 creating a Philippine Legislature of two chambers – the Senate and House of Representatives. On Oct. 3, 1916, voters for the first time elected 22 senators from 11 senatorial districts. Two senators were appointed by the governor-general to represent the non-Christian communities. Of our first 24 senators, all were successful in their own field: 11 lawyers, four lawyer-journalists, four lawyer-agriculturists, three businessmen, one agriculturist, and one physician.
In the first decade of the US colonial government, bright Filipinos of high school age were given scholarship test to study in the US colleges. Famous names like Jorge Bacobo, Francisco A. Delgado, Jose Abad Santos, and Antonio de las Alas were among the first batch of scholars who passed the yearly test.
Teacher from Batangas
Antonio de las Alas, a municipal teacher of Taal, Batangas, passed the test to study at the University of Indiana, where he received his LL.B. degree in 1908. A year after Yale University conferred an LL.M. on De Las Alas. On passing the bar, he became chief of the Executive Bureau. In 1922 he was elected representative of the first district of Batangas and was chosen speaker pro-temporé. He also served in the cabinet as Secretary of Public Works and Communications, Secretary of Finance, and chairman of PCSO. Our old pols never heard of PDAF and the art of connecting with bogus NGOs for profit. After retirement from government service, Don Antonio de las Alas served as president of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation for many years.
Quezon as career politician
Quezon was our Senate president from 1916 to 1935 representing the fifth senatorial district composed of Batangas, Mindoro, Tayabas, and Cavite. He ran unopposed for 19 years until he was elected Commonwealth president on Sept. 17, 1935. Quezon and Osmeña were Bar topnotchers in 1903. Before their election to the First National Assembly in 1907, they served as governors. From 1909 to 1916, Quezon was resident commissioner to Washington, DC, and was credited with the adoption of the Jones Law.
24 senators in 1916
Our first senators elected by district in 1916 were: Vicente Singson Encarnacion, Juan Villamor, Pedro Ma. Sison, Aquilino Calvo, Francisco Liongson, Isauro Gabaldon, Rafael Palma, Pedro Guevara, Manuel L. Quezon, Vicente Ilustre, Leoncio Imperial, Mario Guariña, Jose Altavas, Francisco Villanueva, Espiridion Guanco, Manuel Lopez, Esteban Singzon, Jose M. Veloso, Filemon Sotto, Celestino Rodriguez, Jose Clarin, Nicolas Capistrano, Joaquin D. Luna, and Hadji Butu.
The new Congress
The Senate was abolished by the 1935 Constitution in favor of a one-chamber National Assembly. The 1940 amendment revived the Senate of 24 members elected nationwide on November 11, 1941. The National Assembly was replaced by a Congress of two houses that failed to meet during WW II.
Political parties between 1916 and 1941 had not worked well as majority and minority blocs. National and local politicians were always inclined to support the dominant NP bloc of Quezon and Osmeña. In 1916, 22 of the elected and appointed senators were NPs and two independents. In the House of Representatives of 90 members 75 were NPs and 15 representatives were members of small blocs.
No political ‘adventurers’
Among the 90 members of the first House of Representatives, there were 36 lawyers, nine lawyer-agriculturists, three lawyer-journalists, one lawyer-businessman, 14 agriculturist-businessmen, and mostly successful businessmen, physicians, and highly educated members. Our voters were always conscious of their responsibility to choose a trustworthy national leadership.