134-916: The 1st Congress of the Commonwealth of the Philippines ( Filipino : Unang Kongreso ng Komenwelt ng Pilipinas ), also known as the Postwar Congress , and the Liberation Congress , refers to the meeting of the bicameral legislature composed of the Senate and House of Representatives , from 1945 to 1946. The meeting only convened after the reestablishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1945 when President Sergio Osmeña called it to hold five special sessions. Osmeña had replaced Manuel L. Quezon as president after
268-592: A fan knife . While studying and finishing law school , he argued for and received an acquittal in 1912. Laurel completed his high school education at Manila High School in 1911. He received his law degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law in 1915, where he studied under Dean George A. Malcolm , whom he would later succeed at the Supreme Court of the Philippines . In
402-556: A "Modernizing the Language Approach Movement" (MOLAM). Lacuesta hosted a number of "anti-purist" conferences and promoted a "Manila Lingua Franca" which would be more inclusive of loanwords of both foreign and local languages. Lacuesta managed to get nine congressmen to propose a bill aiming to abolish the SWP with an Akademia ng Wikang Filipino , to replace the balarila with a Gramatica ng Wikang Filipino , to replace
536-611: A bill to set up a special court for this purpose. Roxas initially objected to it, fearing the loss of critical support from his political allies who were accused of, or imprisoned for, collaboration. After extensive congressional debates, Commonwealth Act No. 682 was passed in August 1945 creating the People's Court and the Office of Special Prosecutors to investigate and decide on collaboration charges on an individual basis. In September 1945,
670-517: A common Malayo-Polynesian language due to the Austronesian migration from Taiwan. The common Malayo-Polynesian language split into different languages, and usually through the Malay language, the lingua franca of maritime Southeast Asia, these were able to adopt terms that ultimately originate from other languages such as Japanese , Hokkien , Sanskrit , Tamil , and Arabic . The Malay language
804-585: A common national language, termed Filipino , to replace Pilipino. Neither the original nor the amended version specified either Tagalog or Pilipino as the basis for Filipino; Instead, tasking the National Assembly to: take steps toward the development and formal adoption of a common national language to be known as Filipino. In 1987, a new constitution designated Filipino as the national language and, along with English, as an official language. That constitution included several provisions related to
938-577: A delegate to the 1935 Constitutional Convention. Hailed as one of the "Seven Wise Men of the Convention", he would sponsor the provisions of the Bill of Rights. Following the ratification of the 1935 Constitution and the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines , Laurel was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on February 29, 1936. Laurel's Supreme Court tenure may have been overshadowed by his presidency, yet he remains one of
1072-469: A former Japanese schoolhouse located at 949 Lepanto Street, Manila, two blocks from the headquarters of Gota de Leche . Most senators and congressmen could not hold office there due to limited space and facilities, which were allotted to the officers of the two chambers and the congressional staff. The Senate and the House of Representatives shared the same session hall (the school's former auditorium), with
1206-873: A lecturer at University of the Philippines, particularly at the College of Liberal Arts and at the College of Law. Laurel was appointed first as ad interim Undersecretary of the Interior Department in 1922 (with two stints as acting secretary), then promoted as Secretary of the Interior in 1923. In that post, he would frequently clash with the American Governor-General Leonard Wood , and eventually, in 1923, resign from his position together with other Cabinet members in protest of Wood's administration. His clashes with Wood solidified Laurel's nationalist credentials. Laurel
1340-627: A resolution on November 9, 1937 recommending Tagalog to be basis of the national language. On December 30, President Quezon issued Executive Order No. 134, s. 1937, approving the adoption of Tagalog as the language of the Philippines, and proclaimed the national language of the Philippines so based on the Tagalog language. Quezon himself was born and raised in Baler, Aurora , which is a native Tagalog-speaking area. The order stated that it would take effect two years from its promulgation. On December 31 of
1474-695: A sizable fraction of the Members of the Philippine Congress had been guilty of collaboration with the enemy, and I have not wanted my approval of the act to be distorted into approval of collaboration." The so-called Backpay Law of 1945 turned out to be the most controversial measure passed by the postwar Congress. Joint Resolution No. 5 authorized the Philippine Treasury, which was already financially crippled, to pay back salaries and wages to members of Congress and their staff to cover
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#17327730210091608-599: A state of total emergency. It furthered the broad emergency powers already granted to the President, such as the transfer of the seat of government and the extension of the effectivity of lapsing laws. In its last act as a legislative body, the National Assembly certified the results of the November 1941 elections where Quezon and Osmeña were re-elected as president and vice president, respectively, along with
1742-501: A time when there was no designated date to hold a national election. The First Commonwealth Congress thus provided the vehicle for Roxas' primacy in Philippine postwar politics and government. It also paved the way for the permanent division of the old Nacionalista Party into two warring factions. Its so-called Liberal Wing or faction (later Liberal Party) nominated Roxas for the presidency in 1946. In late May 1945, President Osmeña
1876-649: A total of 55 laws in five special sessions: Commonwealth Act Nos. 672 to 727. Heeding Osmeña's urgent call during the opening session of Congress, the first legislative measure it enacted was Commonwealth Act No. 672 which restored the Philippine National Bank and organized its financial capital. The viability of the Philippine National Bank was critical to the resuscitation of the Philippine Commonwealth after
2010-429: A week and was known as Linggo ng Wika (Language Week). The celebration coincides with the month of birth of President Manuel L. Quezon, regarded as the "Ama ng Wikang Pambansa" (Father of the national language). In 1946, Proclamation No. 35 of March 26 provided for a week-long celebration of the national language. this celebration would last from March 27 until April 2 each year, the last day coinciding with birthday of
2144-432: Is a definition of the powers of government. Who is to determine the nature, scope, and extent of such powers? The Constitution itself has provided for the instrumentality of the judiciary as the rational way. And when the judiciary mediates to allocate constitutional boundaries, it does not assert any superiority over the other departments; it does not in reality nullify or invalidate an act of the legislature, but only asserts
2278-581: Is a language under the Austronesian language family . It is the national language ( Wikang pambansa / Pambansang wika ) of the Philippines , lingua franca (Karaniwang wika), and one of the two official languages ( Wikang opisyal / Opisyal na wika ) of the country, with English . It is a standardized variety of the native language Tagalog , spoken and written in Metro Manila ,
2412-801: Is a translation of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights . Usually, the diacritics are not written, and the syntax and grammar are based on that of Tagalog . the General Assembly proclaims this UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among
2546-462: Is also common among Austronesian languages. It has head-initial directionality. It is an agglutinative language but can also display inflection . It is not a tonal language and can be considered a pitch-accent language and a syllable-timed language. It has nine basic parts of speech . The Philippines is a multilingual state with 175 living languages originating and spoken by various ethno-linguistic groups. Many of these languages descend from
2680-600: Is argued that current state of the Filipino language is contrary to the intention of Republic Act (RA) No. 7104 that requires that the national language be developed and enriched by the lexicon of the country's other languages. It is further argued that, while the official view (shared by the government, the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino , and a number of educators) is that Filipino and Tagalog are considered separate languages, in practical terms, Filipino may be considered
2814-401: Is frequently used. While the word Tagalista literally means "one who specializes in Tagalog language or culture" or a "Tagalog specialist", in the context of the debates on the national language and " Imperial Manila ", the word Tagalista is used as a reference to "people who promote or would promote the primacy of Tagalog at the expense of [the] other [Philippine] indigenous tongues". This
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#17327730210092948-560: Is our hope and desire to see strengthened in preparation for independence. It would work to the benefit of persons who did business with and under the Japanese to the prejudice of those who were loyal both to the Philippine Commonwealth and to the United States Government." The First Commonwealth Congress also tackled the most contentious and divisive issue of Filipino collaboration with the Japanese. Osmeña had proposed
3082-485: Is that speech variety spoken in Metro Manila and other urban centers where different ethnic groups meet. It is the most prestigious variety of Tagalog and the language used by the national mass media. The other yardstick for distinguishing a language from a dialect is: different grammar, different language. "Filipino", "Pilipino" and "Tagalog" share identical grammar. They have the same determiners (ang, ng and sa);
3216-414: Is the indigenous written and spoken language of Metro Manila and other urban centers in the Philippines used as the language of communication of ethnic groups . However, as with the 1973 and 1987 Constitutions, 92-1 went neither so far as to categorically identify, nor so far as to dis-identify this language as Tagalog. Definite, absolute, and unambiguous interpretation of 92–1 is the prerogative of
3350-593: The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (Commission on the Filipino Language, or KWF), superseding the Institute of Philippine Languages. The KWF reports directly to the President and was tasked to undertake, coordinate and promote researches for the development, propagation and preservation of Filipino and other Philippine languages. On May 13, 1992, the commission issued Resolution 92-1, specifying that Filipino
3484-479: The American colonial period , English became an additional official language of the Philippines alongside Spanish; however, the number of speakers of Spanish steadily decreased. The United States initiated policies that led to the gradual removal of Spanish from official use in the Philippines. This was not done through an outright ban, but rather through a strategic shift in language policy that promoted English as
3618-697: The Balarílà ng Wikang Pambansâ (English: Grammar of the National Language ) of grammarian Lope K. Santos introduced the 20-letter Abakada alphabet which became the standard of the national language. The alphabet was officially adopted by the Institute for the Tagalog-Based National Language. In 1959, the language became known as Pilipino in an effort to disassociate it from the Tagalog ethnic group . The changing of
3752-515: The Battle of Leyte and began the Liberation of the Philippines . Philippine President in exile Sergio Osmeña was among them. Other landings on other islands followed. Then on January 9, 1945, Allied forces landed on the south shore of Lingayen Gulf and began to march towards Manila . During the Battle of Manila from February 3 to March 3, 1945, Japanese occupation forces were driven from
3886-520: The Empire of Japan 's commitments to the Pan-Asianism ideal and to emphasize its role as the "liberator" of Asia from Western colonialism . Laurel declared the country under martial law in 1944 through Proclamation No. 29, dated September 21. Martial law came into effect on September 22, 1944, at 9 a.m. Proclamation No. 30 was issued the next day, declaring the existence of a state of war between
4020-710: The Greater East Asia Conference which was an international summit held in Tokyo, Japan from November 5 to 6, 1943, in which Japan hosted the heads of state of various component members of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere . The conference was also referred to as the Tokyo Conference . The Conference addressed few issues of any substance, Eradication of Western Opium Drug Trade and to illustrate
4154-560: The Imperial Japanese Army Academy in Tokyo, and Laurel had received an honorary doctorate from Tokyo Imperial University ) in 1938, placed him in a good position to interact with the Japanese occupation forces. Under vigorous Japanese influence, the National Assembly selected Laurel to serve as president in 1943 . He took the oath of office on October 14, 1943, at the Legislative Building (now
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4288-657: The Laurel–Langley Agreement . Laurel was also named as chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, which he held when he sponsored in 1955 a bill that would make José Rizal 's two novels, Noli Me Tángere and El filibusterismo , as compulsory readings in all universities and colleges. Laurel considered his election to the Senate as a vindication of his reputation. He declined to run for re-election in 1957. He retired from public life, concentrating on
4422-547: The Mariano Marcos State University in Batac, Ilocos Norte, that Filipino was simply Tagalog in syntax and grammar, with as yet no grammatical element or lexicon coming from Ilokano , Cebuano , Hiligaynon , or any of the other Philippine languages . He said further that this is contrary to the intention of Republic Act No. 7104, which requires that the national language be developed and enriched by
4556-592: The National Museum of Fine Arts ) in Manila. The oath was administered by Chief Justice José Yulo . During Laurel's tenure as president, hunger was the main worry. Prices of essential commodities rose to unprecedented heights. The government exerted every effort to increase production and bring consumers' goods under control. However, Japanese rapacity had the better of it all. On the other hand, guerrilla activities and Japanese retaliatory measures brought
4690-697: The Philippine General Hospital where he was operated by the Chief Military Surgeon of the Japanese Military Administration and Filipino surgeons. Laurel enjoyed a speedy recovery. Two suspects to the shooting were reportedly captured and swiftly executed by the Kempetai . Another suspect, a former boxer named Feliciano Lizardo, was presented for identification by the Japanese to Laurel at
4824-651: The Supreme Court in the absence of directives from the KWF, otherwise the sole legal arbiter of the Filipino language. Filipino was presented and registered with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), by Ateneo de Manila University student Martin Gomez, and was added to the ISO registry of languages on September 21, 2004, with it receiving the ISO 639-2 code fil . On August 22, 2007, it
4958-466: The 20-letter Abakada with a 32-letter alphabet, and to prohibit the creation of neologisms and the respelling of loanwords. This movement quietened down following the death of Lacuesta. The national language issue was revived once more during the 1971 Constitutional Convention . While there was a sizable number of delegates in favor of retaining the Tagalog-based national language, majority of
5092-664: The Allied Powers on August 15, 1945. Two days later on August 17, 1945, from Nara Hotel in Nara, Japan , Laurel issued an executive proclamation which declared the dissolution of his regime. On September 2, 1945, the Japanese forces formally surrendered to the United States. Gen. Douglas MacArthur ordered Laurel arrested for collaborating with the Japanese. Alongside his son Jose Laurel III and Benigno Aquino Sr., he
5226-662: The CIC presented the Filipinos who were accused of having collaborated with, or given aid to, the Japanese so that they may be tried before the People's Court. Included were prominent senators and congressmen who had been active in the puppet government under Laurel. These legislators were unable to attend the five special sessions of the First Commonwealth Congress. The collaboration issue continued to haunt Congress. Another currency-related legislation passed by
5360-570: The Charter of the newly formed United Nations. President Osmeña appeared before the Senate three days earlier to deliver the Charter and ask for its ratification. The political rivalry between Osmeña and Roxas, and their respective supporters, began in late May 1945 or even before the Congress opened its first session. After Congress convened, it became apparent that the Roxas bloc (later known as
5494-608: The Congress right after the war. Third, it was this Congress laid down much of the groundwork for the country's postwar reconstruction and rehabilitation, including its participation in the postwar global economic order dominated by the United States. Through the most part of the term of the Second National Assembly (1938–1941), the First Congress' immediate predecessor, international conflicts that led to World War II began to take shape. As early as 1940,
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5628-870: The District of Columbia . He later traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe , where he also took special courses in international law at Oxford University in England and at the University of Paris in France before returning to the Philippines in 1921. He also earned his Doctorate in Jurisprudence at the Escuela de Derecho in Manila and Humanities at the University of Santo Tomas. Laurel began his life in public service while he
5762-467: The Filipino language. Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that: as Filipino evolves, it shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages. And also states in the article: Subject to provisions of law and as the Congress may deem appropriate, the Government shall take steps to initiate and sustain
5896-422: The Filipino writer Francisco Baltazar , author of the Tagalog epic Florante at Laura . In 1954, Proclamation No. 12 of March 26 provided that the week of celebration would be from March 29 to April 4 every year. This proclamation was amended the following year by President Ramon Magsaysay by Proclamation No. 186 of September 23, moving the dates of celebration to August 13–19, every year. Now coinciding with
6030-403: The First Commonwealth Congress gave birth to the two-party system in the Philippines, as the pro-Osmeña and pro-Roxas blocs or factions there eventually became the Nacionalista and Liberal Parties that alternated in power from 1945 until martial law was imposed in 1972. This Congress thus served as a well spring of political leaders under a two-party system of the soon-to-be independent Republic of
6164-591: The First Commonwealth Congress held top positions in the newborn republic. All the senators of this Congress were elected on November 11, 1941 , but, following the outbreak of World War II , were only able to take office on July 9, 1945. A lottery was held to determine the 16 senators whose terms will expire on May 25, 1946, and the eight senators whose terms will expire on December 30, 1947. Filipino language Filipino ( English: / ˌ f ɪ l ɪ ˈ p iː n oʊ / , FIH-lih-PEE-noh ; Wikang Filipino , [ˈwi.kɐŋ fi.liˈpi.no̞] )
6298-403: The First Commonwealth Congress was held up for a few weeks at the White House before President Truman signed it into law in November 1945. As Truman noted in his letter to President Osmeña, his approval of the original House Bill No. 176, which provides for a reduction of the required gold coverage of Philippine currency, has been delayed "due to the fact that there have been persistent charges that
6432-400: The First Congress could not be convened. In its place, the Japanese formed a puppet National Assembly that passed laws dictated by the Japanese Imperial Government in Tokyo. The Japanese-sponsored Philippine Republic, under José P. Laurel as president, ended in late February 1945 when the Philippines was liberated by the returning American forces in the Pacific. Upon the reestablishment of
6566-399: The Institute of National Language (later the Surián ng Wikang Pambansâ or SWP) and tasking it with making a study and survey of each existing native language, hoping to choose which was to be the base for a standardized national language. Later, President Manuel L. Quezon later appointed representatives for each major regional language to form the NLI. Led by Jaime C. De Veyra , who sat as
6700-407: The Japanese Military Administration, he held a series of high posts in 1942–1943. On December 10, 1941, then-Associate Justice Laurel was appointed by President Manuel L. Quezon as acting Secretary of Justice. He was later appointed Commissioner of Justice by the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Japanese Forces on January 26, 1942, but was effective three days prior. However, on December 2, 1942, he
6834-498: The Japanese-sponsored Philippine Government. Alas, Madrigal, Paredes, Recto, Sebastian, Tirona and Yulo had been part of Laurel's Cabinet. The Senate held a lottery to determine who among its members would serve up to April 1946 and November 1947, since senators serve staggered terms under the Constitution. The First Commonwealth Congress initially convened with 14 senators and 66 congressmen. Two more senators reported and nine congressmen joined their colleagues in later sessions. Among
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#17327730210096968-484: The Laurel family sold "Villa Pacencia" to then-Senate President Manny Villar and his wife Cynthia . In 1958, Laurel launched an organization known as Committee of Citizens, which he headed. On the same year, it was announced that his book entitled Thinking of Ourselves would be launched and The Manila Times announced the launching of Unity Movement for National Survival that he sponsored. On his 68th birthday on March 9, 1959, President Carlos P. Garcia conferred him
7102-404: The Liberal Wing of the Nacionalista Party) would in due time separate from the ruling Nacionalista Party led by Osmeña. Hence, Osmeña's allies, particularly in the House of Representatives and the Cabinet, exerted every effort to prevent Roxas from using the Congress as his base of political support during the Liberation period. For example, the Congressional Record of June 11–13, 1945 reports
7236-518: The National Assembly already declared a state of national emergency to address the escalating emergency conditions of the times. It gave Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon extensive emergency powers to meet the worsening conditions. All preparations culminated when Japan attacked the Philippines a few hours after bombing Pearl Harbor on December 8, 1941. The National Assembly lost no time in enacting substantive legislations, diverting all remaining funds for national defense purposes, and declaring
7370-413: The National Capital Region, and in other urban centers of the archipelago. The 1987 Constitution mandates that Filipino be further enriched and developed by the other languages of the Philippines . Filipino, like other Austronesian languages, commonly uses verb-subject-object order, but can also use subject-verb-object order. Filipino follows the trigger system of morphosyntactic alignment that
7504-409: The Philippine Commonwealth in Manila in 1945, General Douglas MacArthur exerted political pressure on President Sergio Osmeña to convene Congress in formal session. Osmeña was reluctant to do so not only because of the huge expense associated with the functioning of Congress, but more so because he feared that its two houses would be controlled by legislators who had collaborated with the Japanese when
7638-514: The Philippine Government was in exile in Washington, D.C. On May 24, 1945, Osmeña offered Roxas the position of Resident Commissioner to the U.S. Roxas by then was known to be actively seeking the right opportunity to launch his presidential ambition with the backing of General Douglas MacArthur , Quezon's former military adviser and considered as the "Liberator of the Philippines." Two days later, Roxas declined Osmeña's offer and instead asked his supporters to announce his candidacy for president at
7772-401: The Philippine islands started in 1565 with the fall of Cebu. The eventual capital established by Spain for its settlement in the Philippines was Manila , situated in a Tagalog-speaking region, after the capture of Manila from the Muslim Kingdom of Luzon ruled by Raja Matanda with the heir apparent Raja Sulayman and the Hindu-Buddhist Kingdom of Tondo ruled by Lakan Dula . After its fall to
7906-404: The Philippines provided that: The National Assembly shall take steps toward the development and adoption of a common national language based on one of the existing native languages. Until otherwise provided by law, English and Spanish shall continue as official languages. On November 13, 1936, the first National Assembly of the Philippine Commonwealth approved Commonwealth Act No. 184; creating
8040-504: The Philippines and restore government institutions. He also tried to address issues concerning the terms of office of officials elected in 1941 just before the Japanese invasion. Because of the severe damage caused to property by the war, the legislators who were hurriedly called to Manila in June 1945, including Roxas and Quirino, had no appropriate attire for the congressional sessions other than their army khaki uniforms. President Osmeña ordered two pairs of sharkskin suits to be purchased by
8174-399: The Philippines and the United States and the Philippine government's participation in the postwar global politico-economic system led by the United States. Joint Resolution No. 4, signed into law by President Osmeña on July 28, 1945, authorized the President of the Philippines to negotiate with the President of the United States the establishment in the Philippines of military bases "to insure
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#17327730210098308-431: The Philippines and the United States and the United Kingdom. This took effect on September 23, 1944, at 10:00 a.m. Due to the nature of Laurel's government and its connection to Japan, much of the population actively resisted the Japanese occupation and his presidency, instead supporting the exiled Commonwealth government . On October 20, 1944, American and Philippine armed forces landed on Leyte Island during
8442-415: The Philippines. Three Philippine presidents, Manuel Roxas , Elpidio Quirino and Carlos P. Garcia were members of this Congress, as were postwar political party leaders like Senate President Eulogio Rodriguez , Speaker Eugenio Pérez , Senator Jose E. Romero and Senator Melecio Arranz. The patron-client orientation of the two-party system evolved in part from the resource constraints faced by members of
8576-459: The Philippines. In his memorable address before its joint session on July 9, 1945, MacArthur said: "Since the beginning of the time men have crusaded for freedom and for equality. It was this passion for liberty which inspired the architects of my own government to proclaim so immutably and so beautifully that 'all men are created equal' and 'that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and
8710-451: The Republic of the Philippines, which gained independence from the U.S. on July 4, 1946. Erstwhile Senate Floor Leader Melecio Arranz became President Pro Tempore of the Senate, while House of Representatives Majority Leader Eugenio Pérez became its Speaker when the new Congress convened in May 1946. Speaker Zulueta, on the other hand, joined the Roxas Cabinet as Secretary of the Interior and later ran and won as senator. Many other members of
8844-413: The Republic of the Philippines. One month later, he was placed under technical custody at his Peñafrancia house in Paco, Manila but rather than accepting the given conditions, he preferred to be imprisoned at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa , Rizal . He was later provisionally released in September 1946 after posting a ₱ 50,000 bail. He was also charged with 132 counts of treason in 1946 and
8978-412: The San Jose College in Tanauan before transferring in 1903 to Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila . He later attended "La Regeneracion," where he completed the Spanish secondary course of instruction. In 1907, he finished the intermediate grades at Manila public schools. While a teen, Laurel was indicted for attempted murder when he almost killed a rival suitor of the girl he stole a kiss from with
9112-454: The Second Congress to convene not later than May 28, 1946. On December 20, 1945, the First Commonwealth Congress met for the last time to discuss the April 1946 presidential elections—the first since 1941. The 1946 elections catapulted the newly formed Liberal Party to power for the first time. Senate President Roxas and Senate President Pro Tempore Quirino, of the Liberal Party, were respectively elected as first President and Vice-President of
9246-714: The Senate meeting in the morning and the House using the hall in the evening. The Senate eventually took temporary quarters in the badly damaged Manila City Hall in 1947. The House remained at Lepanto Street until it moved, with the Senate, to the newly rebuilt Congress building in 1950. At the first special session of Congress on June 9, 1945, Senators Manuel Roxas and Elpidio Quirino were elected as Senate President and Senate President Pro-Tempore, respectively. The House of Representatives elected for its Speaker Iloilo Rep. Jose C. Zulueta and for Speaker Pro-Tempore, Pangasinan Rep. Prospero Sanidad. Only 16 out of 24 senators and 75 of 98 congressmen, who were elected in 1941, attended
9380-477: The Spaniards, Manila was made the capital of the Spanish settlement in Asia due to the city's commercial wealth and influence, its strategic location, and Spanish fears of raids from the Portuguese and the Dutch. The first dictionary of Tagalog, published as the Vocabulario de la lengua tagala , was written by the Franciscan Pedro de San Buenaventura, and published in 1613 by the "Father of Filipino Printing" Tomás Pinpin in Pila , Laguna . A latter book of
9514-401: The Supreme Court, except for one, Justice Jose A. Espiritu, whose credentials were questioned before the Commission. Espiritu became the shortest-serving member of the Supreme Court. He returned as dean of the U.P. College of Law in September 1945, after serving in an ad interim capacity as associate justice for only two months. The heat of presidential politics further divided loyalties in
9648-505: The award of Philippine Legion of Honor with the degree of Chief Commander. In the early afternoon of November 5, 1959, Laurel suffered a stroke. On November 6, 1959, at 1:00 in the morning, he died at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Manila , from a massive heart attack and cerebral hemorrhage. President Carlos P. Garcia declared a " period of national mourning " from November 6 to the day of Laurel's interment over Laurel's death. His wake
9782-476: The birthday of President Manuel L. Quezon. The reason for the move being given that the original celebration was a period "outside of the school year, thereby precluding the participation of schools in its celebration". In 1988, President Corazon Aquino signed Proclamation No. 19, reaffirming the celebration every August 13 to 19. In 1997, the celebration was extended from a week to a month by Proclamation 1041 of July 15 signed by President Fidel V. Ramos . It
9916-472: The brutal Japanese regime, without regard for the actual value of the Japanese-backed currency in which such payments were made. It would give official sanction to acts by Japanese officials in forcing the liquidation of businesses and accounts of loyal Filipinos, Americans, and allies who were imprisoned by the Japanese. It would have a most harmful effect on the Philippine financial structure which it
10050-563: The capital city. After that, only pockets of Japanese forces remained active in the Philippines. Beginning in March 1945, President Laurel, together with his family, Camilo Osías , Benigno Aquino Sr. , Gen. Mateo M. Capinpin , and Jorge B. Vargas evacuated to Baguio . Shortly after the city fell, they traveled to Tuguegarao , where they embarked a bomber plane to Japan via Formosa (now Taiwan ) and Shanghai , China . Emperor Hirohito of Japan announced Japan's unconditional surrender to
10184-747: The chair of the Institute and as the representative of Samar-Leyte-Visayans , the Institute's members were composed of Santiago A. Fonacier (representing the Ilokano-speaking regions ), Filemon Sotto (the Cebu-Visayans ), Casimiro Perfecto (the Bikolanos ), Felix S. Sales Rodriguez (the Panay-Visayans ), Hadji Butu (the languages of Muslim Filipinos ), and Cecilio Lopez (the Tagalogs ). The Institute of National Language adopted
10318-564: The claim that the regulation was violative of social justice , Laurel would respond with what would become his most famous aphorism , which is to this day widely quoted by judges and memorized by Filipino law students: Social justice is neither communism, nor despotism, nor atomism, nor anarchy, but the humanization of laws and the equalization of social and economic forces by the State so that justice in its rational and objectively secular conception may at least be approximated. Social justice means
10452-445: The collaboration issue and the legality of having sitting members of Congress who were accused of collaboration or under investigation therefor. Subsequently, congressmen like Nueva Vizcaya's Leon Cabarroguis sought to petition the United States to immediately disband Congress and call for elections or to convert Congress into an advisory panel to the President (Osmeña) to bypass these legal challenges to its existence and operation after
10586-970: The controversial Bell Trade Act of 1946. In October 1945, President Osmeña also signed House Bill No. 608. This legislation authorized the participation of the Philippine Commonwealth Government in the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank system following the Bretton-Woods Conference in July 1944. Finally, it was during this historic Congress that the Philippine Senate first exercised its constitutional authority to ratify treaties and other international agreements with its unanimous ratification on August 30, 1945, of
10720-610: The country. He cooperated with the Japanese, in contrast to Chief Justice José Abad Santos , who was shot for refusing to cooperate. On June 5, 1943, Laurel was playing golf at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club , then in the City of Greater Manila , when he was shot around four times with a .45 caliber pistol by an american. The bullets barely missed his heart and liver. He was rushed by his golfing companions, among them Far Eastern University president Nicanor Reyes Sr. , to
10854-461: The delegates who were non-Tagalogs were even in favor of scrapping the idea of a "national language" altogether. A compromise was reached and the wording on the 1973 constitution made no mention of dropping the national language Pilipino or made any mention of Tagalog. Instead, the 1973 Constitution , in both its original form and as amended in 1976, designated English and Pilipino as official languages and provided for development and formal adoption of
10988-474: The deliberations in the House of Representatives over Osmeña's Interior Secretary, Tomas Confesor, assertion in the local press that Congress was illegally convened for many reasons, including the expired term of one-third of the senators elected in 1941. Later, Cebu congressman Pedro Lopez and Senator Carlos P. Garcia took to the floor of their respective chambers to denounce the so-called wartime collaborators in Congress led by Roxas, leading to fiery debates over
11122-841: The development of the Lyceum of the Philippines established by his family, as well as the Philippine Banking Corporation, which he had established. During his retirement, Laurel resided in a 1957 three-story, seven-bedroom mansion in Mandaluyong , Rizal , dubbed " Villa Pacencia " after Laurel's wife. The home was one of three residences constructed by the Laurel family, the other two being in Tanauan, Batangas and in Paco, Manila (called " Villa Peñafrancia "). In 2008,
11256-421: The exercise of powers underlying the existence of all governments on the time-honored principle of salus populi est suprema lex . Social justice, therefore, must be founded on the recognition of the necessity of interdependence among divers and diverse units of a society and of the protection that should be equally and evenly extended to all groups as a combined force in our social and economic life, consistent with
11390-587: The five special sessions called by the President. In the Senate alone, Senator Daniel Maramba had died of natural causes immediately before the outbreak of World War II. Senator Jose Ozamiz was executed by the Japanese. Senators Antonio de las Alas , Vicente Madrigal, Quintin Paredes, Claro M. Recto, Proceso E. Sebastian, Emiliano T. Tirona and José Yulo were arrested by the US Army's Counter-Intelligence Corps (CIC) because they had worked in various capacities under
11524-422: The former died in exile in the United States in 1944. Not much has been written about the First Commonwealth Congress, despite its historical and political significance. This owes mainly to the briefness of its existence (i.e., less than a year). However, the First Commonwealth Congress was significant in at least three key respects: First, it brought an end the president's exercise of legislative powers under
11658-542: The fundamental and paramount objective of the state of promoting the health, comfort, and quiet of all persons, and of bringing about "the greatest good to the greatest number. While an associate justice, Laurel also held other appointive posts. Laurel was appointed by President Manuel L. Quezon as a member of the Moral Code Committee in 1939 and as member of the Code Committee in 1940. In 1941, he
11792-483: The government (from the Manlapat tailoring shop across the temporary Congress building) for each of the legislators around the time of the opening of Congress. A few foreign dignitaries also addressed the joint session in the next six months. This included U.S. High Commissioner Paul V. McNutt and General MacArthur who received a commendation from the Congress and a second resolution making him an honorary citizen of
11926-553: The latest edition being published in 2013 in Manila. Spanish served in an official capacity as language of the government during the Spanish period. Spanish played a significant role in unifying the Philippines, a country made up of over 7,000 islands with a multitude of ethnicities, languages, and cultures. Before Spanish rule, the archipelago was not a unified nation, but rather a collection of independent kingdoms, sultanates, and tribes, each with its own language and customs. During
12060-468: The latter national. This is similar to the comparison between Castilian and Spanish , or Mandarin and Chinese . Political designations aside, Tagalog and Filipino are linguistically the same, sharing, among other things, the same grammatical structure. On May 23, 2007, Ricardo Maria Nolasco, KWF chair and a linguistics expert, acknowledged in a keynote speech during the NAKEM Conference at
12194-438: The latter's hospital bed, but Laurel then professed unclear memory. However, in his 1953 memoirs, Laurel would admit that Lizardo, by then one of his bodyguards who had pledged to give his life for him, was indeed the would-be-assassin. Still, the historian Teodoro Agoncillo in his book on the Japanese occupation, identified a captain with a guerilla unit as the shooter. The presidency of Laurel understandably remains one of
12328-536: The legislators who were to compose the First Commonwealth Congress. The Congress replaced the unicameral National Assembly as the legislative branch of government. It was due to meet for the first time in January 1942 had the war not intervene. Due to the transfer of the Philippine Government to Washington, D.C. in 1942, and the three-year occupation (1942–1945) of the Philippines by Japanese forces,
12462-408: The lexicon of the country's other languages, something toward which the commission was working. On August 24, 2007, Nolasco elaborated further on the relationship between Tagalog and Filipino in a separate article, as follows: Are "Tagalog," "Pilipino" and "Filipino" different languages? No, they are mutually intelligible varieties, and therefore belong to one language. According to the KWF, Filipino
12596-419: The members of the First Commonwealth Congress was Representative Elisa Ochoa from Agusan, the first woman ever elected to the Philippine national legislature. The two chambers of Congress assembled in joint session in the afternoon of June 9, 1945, to hear President Osmeña deliver his state of the nation address. Osmeña expectedly dealt with several proposed legislation to rebuild the financial infrastructure of
12730-521: The most controversial in Philippine history. After the war, he would be denounced as a war collaborator and even a traitor, although his indictment for treason was superseded by President Roxas' Amnesty Proclamation . When Japan invaded, President Manuel L. Quezon first fled to Bataan and then to the United States to establish a government-in-exile. Quezon ordered Laurel, Vargas and other cabinet members to stay. Laurel's prewar, close relationship with Japanese officials (a son had been sent to study at
12864-444: The most important Supreme Court justices in Philippine history. He authored several leading cases still analyzed to this day that defined the parameters of the branches of government as well as their powers. Angara v. Electoral Commission , 63 Phil. 139 (1936) , which is considered as the Philippine equivalent of Marbury v. Madison , 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137 (1803) , is Laurel's most important contribution to jurisprudence and even
12998-431: The name did not, however, result in universal acceptance among non- Tagalogs , especially Cebuanos who had previously not accepted the 1937 selection. The 1960s saw the rise of the purist movement where new words were being coined to replace loanwords. This era of "purism" by the SWP sparked criticisms by a number of persons. Two counter-movements emerged during this period of "purism": one campaigning against Tagalog and
13132-401: The official name of Tagalog, or even a synonym of it. Today's Filipino language is best described as "Tagalog-based". The language is usually called Tagalog within the Philippines and among Filipinos to differentiate it from other Philippine languages, but it has also come to be known as Filipino to differentiate it from the languages of other countries; the former implies a regional origin,
13266-556: The other campaigning for more inclusiveness in the national language. In 1963, Negros Occidental congressman Innocencio V. Ferrer took a case reaching the Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of the choice of Tagalog as the basis of the national language (a case ruled in favor of the national language in 1970). Accusing the national language as simply being Tagalog and lacking any substantial input from other Philippine languages, Congressman Geruncio Lacuesta eventually led
13400-410: The peace and order situation to a difficult point. Resorting to district-zoning and domiciliary searches, coupled with arbitrary arrests, the Japanese made the mission of Laurel's administration incalculably exasperating and perilous. During his presidency, the Philippines faced a crippling food shortage which demanded much of Laurel's attention. Rice and bread were still available but the sugar supply
13534-895: The peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction. ang Pangkalahatáng Kapulungán ay nagpapahayág ng PANGKALAHATÁNG PAGPAPAHAYÁG NA ITÓ NG MGÁ KARAPATÁN NG TÁO bílang pangkalahatáng pamantáyang maisasagawâ pára sa lahát ng táo at bansâ, sa layúning ang báwat táo at báwat galamáy ng lipúnan, na láging nása ísip ang Pahayág na itó, ay magsíkap sa pamamagítan ng pagtutúrò at edukasyón na maitagúyod ang paggálang sa mgá karapatán at kalayáang itó at sa pamamagítan ng mgá hakbáng na pagsúlong na pambansâ at pandaigdíg, ay makamtán ang pangkalahatán at mabísang pagkilála at pagtalíma sa mgá itó, magíng ng mgá mamamayán ng mgá Kasáping Estádo at ng mgá mamamayán ng mgá teritóryo na nása ilálim ng kaniláng nasasakúpan. Jose P. Laurel Jose Paciano Laurel y García CCLH KGCR (March 9, 1891 – November 6, 1959)
13668-487: The postwar Congress, as its members failed to decide on the date of elections for president, vice-president, 16 senators and 98 congressmen as well as certain electoral provisions (e.g., whether to allow soldiers to vote). President Osmeña thus requested the U.S. Congress to intervene and set the date of the first post-war elections. The U.S. Congress, in a joint resolution issued in November 1945, called for national elections to take place no later than April 30, 1946, and for
13802-465: The primary language for education, governance, and law. At present, Spanish was designated an optional and voluntary language under the 1987 Constitution, along with Arabic. While Spanish and English were considered "official languages" during the American colonial period, there existed no "national language" initially. Article XIII, section 3 of the 1935 constitution establishing the Commonwealth of
13936-402: The promotion of the welfare of all the people, the adoption by the Government of measures calculated to insure economic stability of all the competent elements of society, through the maintenance of a proper economic and social equilibrium in the interrelations of the members of the community, constitutionally, through the adoption of measures legally justifiable, or extra-constitutionally, through
14070-401: The pursuit of Happiness.' On such rights rest our basic concept of human freedom, in defense of which we have fought and still continue to fight on the battlefields of the world. These rights are the very antithesis to the totalitarian doctrine which seeks to regiment the people and control the human will as the price for presumed efficiency in government." The First Commonwealth Congress passed
14204-616: The rule of law in the Philippines. In affirming that the Court had jurisdiction to review the rulings of the Electoral Commission organized under the National Assembly , the Court, through Justice Laurel's opinion, firmly entrenched the power of Philippine courts to engage in judicial review of the acts of the other branches of government, and to interpret the Constitution. Held the Court, through Laurel: The Constitution
14338-501: The same name was written by Czech Jesuit missionary Paul Klein (known locally as Pablo Clain) at the beginning of the 18th century. Klein spoke Tagalog and used it actively in several of his books. He wrote a dictionary, which he later passed to Francisco Jansens and José Hernández. Further compilation of his substantial work was prepared by Juan de Noceda and Pedro de Sanlúcar and published as Vocabulario de la lengua tagala in Manila in 1754 and then repeatedly re-edited, with
14472-398: The same personal pronouns (siya, ako, niya, kanila, etc.); the same demonstrative pronouns (ito, iyan, doon, etc.); the same linkers (na, at and ay); the same particles (na and pa); and the same verbal affixes -in, -an, i- and -um-. In short, same grammar, same language. In connection with the use of Filipino, or specifically the promotion of the national language, the related term Tagalista
14606-636: The same year, Quezon proclaimed Tagalog as the basis of the Wikang Pambansâ (National Language) giving the following factors: On June 7, 1940, the Philippine National Assembly passed Commonwealth Act No. 570 declaring that the Filipino national language would be considered an official language effective July 4, 1946 (coinciding with the country's expected date of independence from the United States). That same year,
14740-516: The same year, he took the Philippine bar examination and placed second. He then obtained a Master of Laws degree from the University of Santo Tomas in 1919. Laurel was later awarded a scholarship at Yale Law School , where he obtained his J.S.D. degree in 1920. In the same year, he was admitted to the Bar by the Supreme Court of the United States and the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals of
14874-403: The solemn and sacred obligation assigned to it by the Constitution to determine conflicting claims of authority under the Constitution and to establish for the parties in an actual controversy the rights which that instrument secures and guarantees to them. Another highly influential decision penned by Laurel was Ang Tibay v. CIR , 69 Phil. 635 (1940) . The Court acknowledged in that case that
15008-406: The standard in testing due process claims in administrative cases. Calalang v. Williams , 70 Phil. 726 (1940) was a seemingly innocuous case involving a challenge raised by a private citizen to a traffic regulation banning kalesas from Manila streets during certain afternoon hours. The Court, through Laurel, upheld the regulation as within the police power of the government. But in rejecting
15142-433: The substantive and procedural requirements before proceedings in administrative agencies, such as labor relations courts, were more flexible than those in judicial proceedings. At the same time, the Court still asserted that the right to due process of law must be observed and enumerated the "cardinal primary rights" that must be respected in administrative proceedings. Since then, these "cardinal primary rights" have stood as
15276-534: The territorial integrity of the Philippines, the mutual protection of the Philippines and the United States, and the maintenance of peace in the Pacific." Another joint resolution was passed by Congress for the establishment of free trade between the United States following the recommendations of the Bell Trade Mission, which President Osmeña himself supported and endorsed. This became the foundation of
15410-528: The three years of Japanese occupation. In effect, the Backpay Law compensated the legislators for service that they never rendered during the war years. The passage of this measure was met with public indignation. It led to a political backlash and many members of Congress lost their seats during the national elections held in April 1946. Several key measures were passed concerning postwar relations between
15544-422: The town of Tanauan , Batangas . His parents were Sotero Laurel y Remoquillo and Jacoba García y Pimentel, both from Tanauan. His father had been an official in the revolutionary government of Emilio Aguinaldo and a signatory to the 1899 Malolos Constitution . Just like many other presidents, he was of Chinese mestizo descent. His second given name Paciano was in honor of Paciano Rizal . Laurel studied at
15678-518: The use of Filipino as a medium of official communication and as language of instruction in the educational system. and: The regional languages are the auxiliary official languages in the regions and shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction therein. Section 17(d) of Executive Order 117 of January 30, 1987 renamed the Institute of National Language as Institute of Philippine Languages . Republic Act No. 7104, approved on August 14, 1991, created
15812-535: The war. One major financial legislation passed by Congress stirred controversy in the U.S. and was eventually vetoed by President Harry Truman despite its approval by President Osmeña. Commonwealth House Bill No. 647 (Senate Bill No. 51), titled "An Act Governing the Payment of Monetary Obligations Incurred or Contracted Prior to and During the Japanese Invasion of the Philippines and for Other Purposes",
15946-583: The war. The Osmeña-Roxas rivalry intensified in the Commission on Appointments — a congressional body consisting of 12 senators and 12 congressmen — which was responsible for confirming presidential nominations. The Commission was chaired by Roxas himself as senate president. In that powerful position, Roxas managed to sit on (bypass) the nominations of some of Osmeña's most important political advisers and supporters. The Commission also confirmed Osmeña's nominations for chief justice and associate justices of
16080-438: The wartime emergency act passed by the defunct National Assembly in 1941. The opening of Congress in 1945 allowed democratically elected representatives to pass legislation, especially to deal with the Philippines' postwar problems. It also provided an institutional check against executive power, including the presidential power to appoint top officials of the (postwar) government and appropriate funds for its operations. Second,
16214-529: Was a Filipino politician, lawyer, and judge, who served as the President of the Japanese-occupied Second Philippine Republic , a puppet state during World War II , from 1943 to 1945. Since the administration of President Diosdado Macapagal (1961–1965), Laurel has been officially recognized by later administrations as a former president of the Philippines. Jose Paciano Laurel y García was born on March 9, 1891, in
16348-480: Was a member of the Philippine fraternity Upsilon Sigma Phi . In 1925 , Laurel was elected to the Philippine Senate , beating incumbent Senator Antero Soriano . Serving from the 5th district , he would serve for one term before losing his re-election bid in 1931 to fellow Batangueño Claro M. Recto . He retired to private practice, but by 1934, he was again elected to public office, this time as
16482-527: Was a student. He served as a messenger in the Bureau of Forestry, then as a clerk in the Code Committee tasked with the codification of Philippine laws, and as a law clerk in the Executive Bureau. During his work for the Code Committee, he was introduced to its head, Thomas A. Street, a future Supreme Court Justice who would be a mentor to the young Laurel. In 1921, Laurel was also appointed as
16616-528: Was also appointed as Professor of Civil Law at the Central College of Law. He was also named as acting Secretary of Justice and acting Chief Justice in December of the same year and Commissioner of Justice in January 1942. His time as associate justice ended on February 5, 1942 As he was well known to the Japanese as a critic of US rule, as well as having demonstrated a willingness to serve under
16750-482: Was elected to the Senate of the Philippines as the top vote-getter in the 1951 Philippine Senate election , under the Nacionalista Party . He was urged to run for president in 1953, but declined, working instead for the successful election of Ramon Magsaysay . Magsaysay appointed Laurel head of a mission tasked with negotiating trade and other issues with United States officials, the result being known as
16884-500: Was generally used by the ruling classes and the merchants from the states and various cultures in the Philippine archipelago for international communication as part of maritime Southeast Asia. In fact, Filipinos first interacted with the Spaniards using the Malay language. In addition to this, 16th-century chroniclers of the time noted that the kings and lords in the islands usually spoke around five languages. Spanish intrusion into
17018-600: Was gone. On October 20, 1943, the Philippine-Japanese Treaty of Alliance was signed by Claro M. Recto , who was appointed by Laurel as his Foreign Minister , and Japanese Ambassador to Philippines Sozyo Murata. One redeeming feature was that no conscription was envisioned. Shortly after the inauguration of the Second Philippine Republic, President Laurel, together with cabinet Ministers Recto and Paredes flew to Tokyo to attend
17152-606: Was passed by both houses of Congress on the last day of its last session, December 20, 1945. It was signed into law by President Osmeña on January 18, 1946. The law provided for the validation of payments made in Japanese "mickey mouse" money during the period of enemy occupation. However, U.S. High Commissioner McNutt objected to it and asked Truman to exercise his final veto on this currency measure. President Truman's accompanying veto letter explained his disapproval, to wit: "The Commonwealth Act which I am now disapproving would give legal approval to transactions and payments made under
17286-435: Was persuaded to call the First Commonwealth Congress to special session in order to tackle the most pressing issues of postwar rehabilitation and regain constitutional normalcy. Regular sessions could not be held by then, as the Constitution provided that these should take place for 100 days beginning on the fourth Monday of January of each year. With the old Legislative Building in ruins, the First Commonwealth Congress met in
17420-535: Was relieved from the post to become the Minister of the Interior, a position that he had previously held as Secretary two decades prior. He relinquished the post on October 14, 1943, when he was inaugurated President of the Second Philippine Republic. Laurel was among the Commonwealth officials instructed by the Japanese Imperial Army to form a provisional government when they invaded and occupied
17554-463: Was reported that three Malolos City regional trial courts in Bulacan decided to use Filipino, instead of English , in order to promote the national language. Twelve stenographers from Branches 6, 80 and 81, as model courts, had undergone training at Marcelo H. del Pilar College of Law of Bulacan State University following a directive from the Supreme Court of the Philippines . De la Rama said it
17688-642: Was taken to custody and was imprisoned in Yokohama on September 15, 1945. On November 16, 1945, they were transferred to Sugamo Prison . While in prison, he was not allowed to have any reading material except The World in 2030 , a book by the Earl of Birkenhead that he received as a gift from his son Salvador Laurel . Lacking in writing instruments, he used this book to write his Memoirs . On July 23, 1946, Laurel, together with Osias, Aquino, and his son Jose III, left Tokyo for Manila , having been turned over to
17822-416: Was the dream of Chief Justice Reynato Puno to implement the program in other areas such as Laguna , Cavite , Quezon , Aurora , Nueva Ecija , Batangas , Rizal , and Metro Manila , all of which mentioned are natively Tagalog-speaking. Since 1997, a month-long celebration of the national language occurs during August, known in Filipino as Buwan ng Wika (Language Month). Previously, this lasted only
17956-489: Was tried by the People's Court. However, the trial ended prematurely due to the general amnesty granted by President Manuel Roxas in 1948. Laurel ran for president as a nominee of the Nacionalista Party against Elpidio Quirino in the 1949 Philippine presidential election but lost in what future Foreign Affairs Secretary Carlos P. Romulo and Marvin M. Gray considered as the dirtiest election in Philippine electoral history. Laurel garnered more than 2 million votes and
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