Quezon; Thoughts and Anecdones About Him and His Fights

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THE FATHER OF COMPLETE INDEPENDENCE AND THE REP O.F THE PHILTPPINES - HIS MONUMENT

IV

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PUBLIC

PHEZON

Thoughts and Anecdotes About Him and His F ights

I.JP CEBU LIBRARY

VISAYAS

Organi

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by

JUAN F. BIVERA

Author: Jorge Bocobo

-

Father of the First (1978) Brown Race Civil Code and The Chair and Floor Proceedinp (1978) and Editor: The Great Power at the Bar and Bench

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Enlivened With I llustrations

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Published by the Editor to Mark the 100th Birth Anniversary of MANUEL LUIS OUEZON

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&Copyright 1979

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JUAN F' RIVERA

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ISBN

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Library of Congress Catalog Card Number

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PriNtEd At thE KAYUMANGGI PRESS' INC'

940 Ouezon Blvd. Ext. Ouezon CitY

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DEDICATED

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JUAN DE LA CRUZ

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OUEZON'S BELOVED PEOPLE

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So tbat tbey rcnder bomage and giae tbe flozocr of grotitu,lt to binr uho patiotically said:

"l

am offering my sufferings to Our Lord

for Our Country."

_MANUEL L. OUEZON vll a.

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Editor's Preface

I

TWIN PURPOSE

Selected thoughts and anecdotes about President Manuel Luis Ouezon and his fights, particularly for tl,e freedom and independence of what I call the Balangayan peopte and their Balangayan archipelago,l are gathered in this book. As an aperetif, the reader is invited to savor what five great men have said about our hero. "We will always remember President (luezon with admiration anrl affection", said FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT. "He will be remenrlx:rctt by his people with that respect and veneration that we in the United States have for the name of George Washington."2 SERGIO OAUENA reminisces: "One year ago toclay (August l, 1945), at Saranac Lake in the State of New York, Manuel L. Ouezon, first President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, passed to a better life. lt was his sad lot not to haveseen his people rescued from the clutches tx

,

that their liberation of the enemy, but there coukl be no doubt in his mind long in coming' as be not would towards which he had bent all his energy freed from the in fact it came. Not only this. He knew also that' once the future because the Japanese, his people *ould h.," no more fear of years of his life would independence to which he had given the best the United States'"3 be established under the p-rotecting wings of finally - 'MANUEI a free nation' nOXeS tells us: "We are a free people and and its instiGovernment its in large part, because of him' This Republic' man' These single any of be could tutions are as much his works as they territory virgin and trackless the his perpetual monument' Acros

OU

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four critical Manuel Quezon's wisdom led the way' through to independ' finally and victory to decades, through two great world wars, portion a owes it him, ence. The entire world is similarly in his debt. To the through guided mankind which of that flaming spirit of leadership larger ln this redemption' and valley of evil and darkness to salvation took both a ,"nr., *. cannot claim him for ourselves alone' His deathpain loss is of The world' the from father from his country and a leader

of time,

feltwherevermenarefree.lnoursorrowweareonewithallmankind... growth of our ln recalling his life, we recall the story of the modern would be told which tale a is nation. His climb to fame and leadership of bonds the broke which spirit to all our generations' The impetuous none was there because obstacle p"rronrt pourrty, which hurdled every of our race' His ir.rt "noigh to stay him, is one of the proudest.ploducts nation"'t this of iame is truly a glittering ornament MURPHY' "should Ouezon's life, in-the point of view of FRANK and colleges' schools the in be taught pulpit, will be preached from every whether citizen every to known be lt will it' Every editor will write about intheruralareasorintheurbancommunitiesof'thislandwelovedandthe for which

he perished . . .

'

an

bu

ha

A

1 T

So the life of your President for whom I had

to Americans greatest personal admiration should serve as an example were to take a Ind Filipinos alike. lf the youth of this impoverished land L' Ouezon and be faltering step, I hope they will think first of Manuel re-awakenedtoyourresponsibility,toyoursenseofindustry'toyour senseofduty,toyoursenseoftendernessandkindnessthatmakesa you"'s nation great' I hope God will keep and bless DOUGLAS MACARTHUR president' dead the to Paying tribute Almighty God' iudge of all of seat the before being remarks that "his soul Manuel Ouezon's mortal remains are now com' men and of all things, -care of the people he loved so deeply and served so mitted to the tender well-hischerishedown.FatherofthisinfantRepublic,whichheplanned

forever"'s but never saw, he has rqturned - he has come home obtrude the twin pur' great men five Thus, from these thoughts of MANUEL LUIS pose of this book: to make crystal clear the fact that x

ar

B La

pa

of 1

9

and to make easily the Father of our Freedom and Republic UEZON is ln this way we to posterlty a model of heroic statesmanship' ."cihle vrAs a man who Ouezon' tne salt and light of President hall perpetuate

quoted the Bible' we can appropriately ad and often words of the Holy Book: these *. read

think of

him

nn^

"You are the salt of the earth. But what if salt goes flat? How

canyourestoreitsflavor?Thenitisgoodfornothingbuttobe thrown out and tramPled underfoot'

"You are the light of the world' A city set on a hill cannot

be hidden.

"Men do not light a lamp and then put

it

under a bushel

basket.Theysetitonastandwhereitgiveslighttoallinthehouse. lnthesameway,yourlightmustshinebeforemensothattheymay your heavenly Father." see goodness in your acts and give praise to Matthew 5:13'16

of MANUEL LUIS OUEZON would not go flat his light may not be put under a bushel basket that nd be thrown out; so Ouezon centennial book is placed in your modest this ut put on a stand, succeeding to our ands. Pass it on So that the salt

RIVERA

August 19, 1978

I

101 D. Tuason, Ouezon CitY The Philippines 3008

l For the meaning of these terms "Balangayan people" and "Balan-gayan rchipelago" and the terms "Philippines" and "Filipino", please see my book JOBGE (A U.P' BOCbBO-: THE FATHER OF THE FIRST BROWN RACE CIVIL CODE pp. 117-155. publication), aw Center 2From,,WeRememberPresidentouezon',byErnestoR.Rodriguez,infra,

age 28.

3FirstparagraphofPres.osmeffa,s,,lnMemoriam,,deliveredontheoccaslotl

ftheFirstAnniversaryoftheDeathofPresidentManuelL.OuczonollAll(ltl:it1,

945. For full text, infra, Page 35. 4 For full text, infra, Page 4o. 5 For full texl, infra, Page 54. 6 For full lext infra, Page 59

xt

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The t$,::r.:;hts and anecdotes about President Manuel Luis Quezon and his fights, reproduced in the following pages, have been selected by me from various sources indicated after each selection. I collected many of them when I was in the United States as a government pensionado .in public law in 1949-1950. I got copies or copied many of the documents pertaining to President Ouezon (including his speeches in Congress and in several states of the Union when he was our Resident Commissioner), from the historical library of Wisconsin; the records division of our government-in-exile in Washington, D.C.; the Library Services of the United Nations at Lake Success, New York; Franklin D. Roosevelt Library at

Hyde Park, New York;

the Historical Office,

Department

of

State,

Washington D.C.; and the U.S. Congress Library. All the anecdotes embodied in this book came from sources, as indicated therein, in the Filipiniana divisions of the National Library and U.P. Library, the Jorge B. Vargas Filipiniana Foundation, and the U.p. Library Archives. Much debt of gratitude I owe to the authors and publishers of the articles reproduced for this book without their prior consent, which was obviously difficult to obtain, as many of the authors are not now in this world or their publishers had closed out. I trust, however, that the liberty 1 did take jn repr:oducing the articles adverted to, all relating to MLe, wriuld come within the spirit of the Last will and restament of our beloved late President Manuel L. Quezon, done at Del Monte, Bukidnon, on March 26, 1942, devising and bequeathing all his ,,private and public papers and documents" to the Government of the philippines for public use. under the trusteeship of the Director of the National Library. My heartfelt thanks go to Mr. Serapio Canceran, member of the wartime Ouezon staff and family entourage in America for furnishing me most of the photographs lhe reader will see within. Much gratitude I owe to my btd Malacaiang pal, Mr. Mauro Garcia, for extending to me the facilities of the Jorge B. Vargas Filipiniana Foundation of which he is presently the head of its library. I feel it a most rewarding one toacknowledge, with sincere gratitude, the bayanihan drive of the Kayumanggi Press, Inc., Ouezon City, and its efficient staff ,for printing this book in less than three months. lf this modest book could make Manuel L. Ouezon live in your memqry as it does in mine as the Father of our Freedom and Republic, it will have been worth my efforts and money to make itavailable to you and to posterity. J. F. R.

xil

THE ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Frontispiece: - The Father of Complete lndepe and the Republic of the Philippines . . . l. Quezon's Belooed People; Juan de la Cruz 3. President Osmefra bidding the dead President goodbye

.

4. Ouezon gave us leadershiP. 5. President Quezon's body lying in state in Washington's

St.MatthewCathedral

..i...

ce

.lv ..vii .6 11

24

6. Ouezon's Funeral to the Arlington National

25

Cemetery. The symbol of our aspiration for Freedom and I ndependence . 8. The personif ication of the country . . . . 9. Delivering inaugural address as First President of the 7.

Philippines r0. President Quezon and Gen. MacArthur cheering at a Commonwealth anniversary parade. 11. MLO's faith in prayer. 12. MLO delivering maiden speech as Resident Commissioner. 13. ML0 witnessing signing of Jones Bill by Pres. Wilson 14. Memento of Quezon's poverty 15. Another memento of Ouezon's poverty showing hls salary from Monte de Piedad . 16. The President and Dofia Aurora in the Casiana . . . . 17. Pres. MLO'S picture dedicated to Dofia Aurora. . Y . 18. Ouezon's wedding plcture in Hong Kong . . 19. Just married picture of MLO and AAO . . . 20. The Ouezon family . 21. The President signing Woman Suffrage Law ..t. 22. MLO's break of dawn. . 23. Aurora A. Ouezon 24. Malacaftang Palace by the Pasig 25. MLO and AAO distribute Christmas gifts 26. Nini in front of her father's picture. . . . 27. MLO and son Nonong 28. TheOuezon Ruins.. . . . . . i .

37 51

57

58 61

70 71

76

.77 .85 .91 o2

. . 100 ..101 . .107 . . 109 . .122 . .126 . .135

29. The Senate President at his Desk on the Senate Rostrum

30. Lucio Ouezon

136 140

31. The Oiezon house in Baler

141

xilt

!l

32. Second Lieutenant Quezon 33. Major Ouezon. 34. The "Two Lions" of the Bar 35. A dominant figure on dance floor.

145 148 153 158

.

36. Receiving Commissioner McNutt at a Malacaffang diplomatic ball . . 37. MLO as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces 38. One of ten best dressed men in the world.

159

'''

173 185 196

'

39. MLO and his beloved Nurse. 40. Getting ready to transfer government to

o, *io::;:',l"i,P.];.u,;;.

. .. ..

Speaking on character training A typical Quezon weekly press conference . Col. Nieto takes oath as MLO's Military Aide . The President with a Golden Heart . 46. An example of MLO's virtue of charity 47. Up f rom mucbacbo to First President of the

42. 43. 44. 45.

.205 .212

..

.223 .227

.228 .241 .242

.

. .260 . .267 . .268 . .272 . .280

Philippines

48. The Champion of the poor 49. Xmas Greetings particularly to the poor. 50. MLO pounding rice with his tenants 51. MLO relaxing at Gumaca beach . 52. ln lantern parade with Arayat folks, Pampanga . . . . . . 53. With school teachers and school children 54. Looking over the site of his dream city 55. Laying the cornerstone of Capitol Site. . . 56. Addressing the nation on the founding of the capitol

site...

62.

..284 . .285

..290 ..291 293

57. Marching with Speaker Paredes, Secretary Yulo,

58. 59. 60. 61.

.

at a Commonwealth anniversary held in new Capitol Site The City Hall of Ouezon City . . The Ouezon Monument Speaking on his parent's poverty Witnessing signing of Tydings-McDuffie Law. . . Witnessing FDR approvlng the Philippine

Constitution. . MLO bejng congratulated by FDR 63. oath as President of the Philippines MLO taking 64. ashore. being carried MLO 65. 66. lnaugurating the Polillo waterworks 67. Addressing the people of Casiguran. xtv

etc.

294. 300 301

306 334

....336 . .. .337 ....338 . .. .342 ....352

....3il

68. Signing the fJational lnstitute of National

LanguageAct......

.358

69. Tete-a-tete with Sec. Sison, etc.

.362 .372

70.

71. 72. 73. 74.

MLO's caricature. . . MLO at close range Ouezonian temper explodes. Capt. Sergio R. Mistica. . . . . With photographer Alcantara. First Ouezon Cabinet. .

.373 .

75. 76. WithadvisersontheJudicir; . . . : . . . . . . .

77.

At

376

.378 380 387 .

U.P. commencement program

78. With Chief Advisers . 79. Handwritten letter to Joe (Yulo) 80. Pledging to clean the government (See Appendix "A") Signing the National Defense Act . . . 81. Ouezon and MacArthur greeting each other . . 82. 83. Marikina Council of State Meeting 84. At Corregidor Rock Air-raid Shelter 85. Gen. MacArthur and Pres. Ouezon at

392 398 400

402

.410 .

Corregidor......

.414 .417 .425 .428 430

86. FDR meeting MLQ at Union Station, Washington, D.C. . . 87. Wartime Staff . . 88, Ouezon and family receiving Holy Communion. 89. Malacafiang party for newspapermen. 90. The President and Mrs. Ouezon at Palace 91. The Presldent and Mrs. Ouezon in a Malacaffang Reception 92. With Secretary Vargas and Col. Nieto for lnspection 93. "Tunay na Punong Lalawigan". 94. Stirring his audience to grow "like the Molave". 95. Mission accomplished 96. With Mang Abdon 97. The First Philippine lndependence Mission 98. Palace party for Field Marshall MacArthLrr 99. McNutt lighting MLQ's cigarettc. 00. "My loyalty to my party ends. . ." 01. Campaigninq for rojectiorr of H tl (: Ilill . . 02. "l preter a governrT)ent rurr likc lrcll. . ." 03. Worr all tlattles

xv

.437 .439

.445 .458 .464 465

476 481

. .489 . .491 . .493 . .495 . ,600 . .603

..613 ..616 . .528 .,. 531

104. Awarding congressional medal to Col. Cruz

.

,

105. After signing the United Nations Agreement. . 106. FDR and MLO shortly after signing the United

548 .

Nations Agreement '107. Attending a Meeting of the pacific powers . . . . 108. Pre-War Council of State Meeting 109. The Senate president and Mrs. euezon call on Governor-General Stimson at Malacafiang. .. 110. Addressing the U.S. House of Representatives. .

553 . 554

.555 .561 ,

.563

.

. 570

.574

112. A Pacific War Council emergency meeting 113. Where MLO outwitted FDR,s emissaries

...

FDR,sadvisers .. .. ..

114. MLOwith

.

.583 .588 . 591

.608

THANATOPSIS

116. The princeton Carrier with MLe,s

coffin

.

611

117. The widowed Dofia Aurora A. Ouezon coming home down the princeton 1'18. The Editor with Mayor Guerrero of Baler on f irst night vigil at U.S.T, ihapel over M LO,s

casket.

1

19.

.

M LO's State Funeral

Manila..

to North Cemetery,

120. Pres. Roxas, Justice Murphy, etc. at funeral

line. . .

.

121. Lowering of MLO's casket to his Grey Tomb . . 122. The Editor

xvt

612

.613 . 614

615

.616 . 655

TABLE OF CONTENTS

.ix

Editor's Preface TWIN PURPOSE Acknowledgments. . The lllustrations

...

.'

.xI xIt

.

PART I _ THOUGHTS CHAPTER

1 OVERVIEW

1.01 A Nation Builder - Franbis Burton Harrison 1.02 Fine Public Spirited Citizen - Henry L. Stimson. . 1.03 A Great Loss to the Freedom-Loving World . . . . . Sergio Osmefia 1.04. Unsurpassed Statesmanship and Achievement. . . Supreme Court of the Philippines 1.05 My Greatest Foe - Senator.Filemon Sotto. . . . . 1.06 Ouezon Lives ln Our Memory

3

.4

.5' 7

.

8

.

I

Arsenio H. Lacson

. .13

1.07 Manuel L. Ouezon Amado M. Yuzon 1.08 Ouezon: Still the Best President We Ever Had Carlos Quirino

CHAPTEB

2

. .14

.

HONORS AND EULOGIES

^A. ln the United States

2.01 Honorsatwashington

..

....23

Serapio D. Canceran 2.O2 Ouezon's Place in Ameircan Heart and History Secure . Paul V. McNutt

2.03

. . .26

WeRememberPresidentOuezon .......2T Ernesto B. Bodriguez

B. ln the Philippines 2.04 Manuel L. Ouezon - Father of Our Country. . . . . 2.05

35

Sergio Osmefia Manuel L. Ouezdn's Permanent l\rlonurncnt: Tlrc

Bepublic of the Philippines. Manuel A. Roxas

xvil

39

2.06 Most Outstanding and Commanding Figure of Our

46

Race.

Raul T. Leuterio 2.07 Architect of Our Liberty and Father of Our People Claro M. Recto 2.08 Ouezon's Life Should Be Preached and Taught Frank MurPhY 2.09 Father of the Republic of the Philippines. ' . .

2.10

Dougla MacArthur Father and Benefactor . . .

2.11

Hilarion R. Yanza Champion of the Poor and Friend of the

.

54 56

60

G. Editorials 2.12 The Return of the Leader The Manila Chionicle 2.13 Home to Rest. . Manila Daily Bulletin 2.14 Manuel Luis Ouezon . . . The Evening Herald 2.15 Manuel Luis Ouezon . . . The Manila Post

3

'

59

.

Working Man Rev. Fr. Pacifico A. Ortiz

CHAPTER

48

64 66 66 68

OUALITIES AND STATURE

3.01 The Oualities of

Manuel L. Quezon. . . .

69

.

Rafael Palma

3.02 The Four Outtanding

Oualities that Made Cluezon'sPersonality Dynamic . . . . Ricardo Paras 3.03 Manuel Luis Ouezon: A Personal Appraisal.

72 74

Roman Ozaeta

3.04 Two Outtanding Oualities of MLO. . . . . Jose P. Bantug 3.05 Ouezon: Man and Statesman Basilio J. Valdes 3.06 Short Memoir of President Ouezon

John N. Hayer

xvlll

.

81

82 87

PART II _ ANECDOTES CHAPTEB

4

PEBTAINING TO THE OUEZON FAMILY

. . ..92

4.01 How Ouezon Got Married Jorge B. Vargas 4.02 Dofra Aurora A. Quezon.

....98

Manuel Lim

....102

4.O3 Manuel Ouezon at Home.

Sergio R. Mistica 4.04 Life With the Ouezon

Family.

. . . . .113

Melinda N. 0uintos 4.05

OuezontheFather.

-Araceli T. Salazar 4.06 Nonong Ouezon's Life With Father. Ouijanq de Manila 4.O7

.....119 .

TheOuezonRuins..

124

.....134

Marie Rose McCaig CHAPTEB

5

PERTAINING TO MANUEL LUIS OUEZON

5.01 Lucio Ouezon's Story the Pattern of Ml-Q's Life Sergio R. Mistica 5.O2 My Town Remembers President Ouezon lsidro C. Gregorio 5.03 Ouezon the lnterno. Sunday Times 5.04 Ouezon the lnsurrecto... .

5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08

F. Delor Angeles Major Ouezon in Eataan Marcelo S. Ouiroz Ouezon As Dashing Officer . . . . D. L. Francisco Quezon As A Lawyer So! H: Gwekoh M LQ as Music Lover and Dancer Jose P.

. .139 . .143 . .144 . . 146 . .'t49 't51

152

.157

Ableez

5.09 Moments With Ouezon

. .160

Honesto Vitug 5.10 Deep Secret of Ouezon Revealed

. .170

Vicente L. del Fierro 5.11 Man of the People

. .171

Sergio R. Mirtica

xtx

5.12 Ouezon, the Press Photographers Favorite . . . Rodolfo M. de Juan ;.ts "Will There Be Another Manuel L. Ouezon?" Celso G. Cabreia 5.14 Ouezon at Close Range. Serapio Canceran

.

.

.172

.

177

.....182 . 183

5.15 Jose A. Ouirino

.

187

.

.

189

.

.

190

.

.195

5.16 "Let George Do lt" A. Oliver Flores 5.17 On the Spot Decisions . . Louis P. Croft 5.18 Ouezon and the Church . Frederic S. Marquardt 5.19 Ouezon and His Health. .

Artemio A. Garlit

.203

5.20 Ouezon's Last DaYs Basilio J. Valdes

CHAPTER

6

CHARACTER SKETCH OF MLO

6.01 The Character of Manuel L. Ouezon Encarnacion Alzona 6.O2 A Character Sketch of President Manuel L. Ouezon

211 .

218

Mignrel Gaffizares

226

6.03 MLO's Six Years in Palace. Vicente J. Guzman 6.04 Ouezon Recalled for Little Things

231

Serapio Canceran

6.05 The Ouezon Romulo Fondly Bemembers. ' Olaf S. Giron 6.06 Glimpses of Ouezon the Man

232 236

CHAPTER 7 MLO'S NOBILITY,'HUMILITY AND COURAGE

7.01 On Human Side of Late President

Ouezon

. . . . .240

Jose P. Laurel

7.02 Some lnteresting Anecdotes About Ouezon

244

Luis Serrano

7.03 Ouezon As

.

Feur Knew Him

Luis Serrano

xx

246

7.04 They Loved Quezon. . j . . Antonio L. Arizabal

.249

7.05

.

Jesus V.

255

Merritt .256

7.06 Brenda Piquero Tuazon 7.O7 Unpublished Anecdotes About Pres. Quezon Francisco Villanueva, J1. 7.OtB Matching Ouezon's Humility With

Generosity

-

.

.

Cl. Leones

.259

.264

CHAPTER 8 DEVOTION TO CAUSE OF THE MASSES 8.01 MLO's Ways

of ldentifying With the Mases

Antonio M. Allego 8.02 Ouezon, Friend of the Common Man . . . H. David Escalante 8.03 MLO's Love for Labor

.266 .271

.

.275

.

A. Trinidad Garlit 8.04 Quezon's Concern for the Poor, Helpless and lgnorant Guillermo Gomez

.276

8.05 The Secret of Quezon's Hold Over the People. Basilio J. Valdes 8.06 Remembering M LO as Tayabense Federico V. Principe 8.07 Kaleidan Farm: 1'esting Ground for Social Jusitce Serapio Canceran 8.08 Quezon and the City of His Dreams Celso Al. Carunungan 8.09 The Beginnings of Ouezon City . . Pio Pedrosa 8.10 Ouezon's Gift: A Dream of Social Justice. . Emerenciana Y. Arcellana

.

.278 .279

.283 l,

.286 .292 ..

.

.304

CHAPTER 9 INCIDENTS IN MLO'S POLITICAL LIFE

.......318 .......319

9.01 The Master's Touch 9.O2 "l Made Them Alli' Sergio R. Mistica

9.03 His "Mestizo" Brothers.

.321

Sergio R. Mistica

xxi

t.l

.

322

His Would'Be Assassin

324

9.04 MLO'S Would'Be'Asassin. Sergio R. Mistica

9.05 Ouezon Forgave

Jose ToPacio Nueno

p.06 "Comadre, lf I Fall, ln the Arms of My Will lDrop".

People

326

'Sergio R. Mistica 9.07 Who Was the First Anti? Jose P. Bantug

327

9.08 "Ano Ba lyan, Gobernador, Anti Ka Na Ba?" ' ' '

330

Sergio B. Mistica

330

9.09 "That ls AnnoYing, Seigiot" Felipe E. Jom

9.10 Ouezon's

RePIY

331

to Robinson

Carlos P. Bomulo

g.11 "Paredes,

333

Have You Lost Faith in Me?"

Ouintin Paredes

9.12 What Ouezon Told

339

Backers

M. N. Ouerol CHAPTER 1O TALES OUT OF MLO'S TRAVELS 10.01 Stories of Ouezon Amante F. Paredes 10.02 MLO - As I Knew Him .

341

344

.

Phillip L. De Vault

346

10.03 "Betain Him, He is Honest"

A.C. Abear 10.04 Ouezon and the Can OPener Gonzalo P. Misa 10.05 "Let the Thief Get What He Deserves?"' Vicente B. Villaces 10.06 The Terrified Dentist A.C. Abear 10.07 "You Are LYing" Sergio R. Mistica 10.08 How MLO Greeted Children Jose T. Arroyo

346 348

''''

349

.

351 351

355

10.09 Oh Youth Sergio B. Mistica

10.10 Ouezon on National Language Pedro N. Manoos

xxI

356

CH,APTEB

11 YABNS BELATING TO MLO'S TEMPER A. Pranks

11.01

.....360

WhenOsmefiaWasDown Sergio B. Mistica

1

. . .361

1.02 "HYPnotize Me"

Sergio R. Mistica "Usted es un Traidor" 1 1.03 Sergio R. Mistica 11.04 The Two-Man Army. . Sergio R. Mistica 11.05 "l Did Not Sock You" Felix B. Bautista 11.06 The Trunk of Liquor . Ramon Almario, Jr. 1

i.07

. . 363 . . 363

.....363 .364

"Quirino Your Provincemates Cannot Rely Much On You". Sergio R. Mistica Experiences With Urologists Manuel L. Quezon

1

1.08

1

1.09 The

.365 .366

B. Flash of Temper

11.

10

Ouezon-Salazar lncident Leopoldo R. Serrano The Famous Quezon Temper

Manuel

367

. 371

0. Alcantara

1l.11That Ouezonian Temper. . .

381

.

Philippine Panorama

.

CHAPTER 12 OUEZON'S LAGDAS (NOBMS OF CONDUCT}

......385

12.O1 Punctuality Enriqqe Zalamera, Sr, 12.02 How Ouezon Handled Government Crooks Bodrigo C. Lim 12.03 Ouezon and the Judiciary Bodrigo C. Lim 12.04 Don Jose Yulo Reynaldo R. Radan

12.05 "You

are Really Stupid, Judge" A.C. Abear

12.OG Loyalty to the President. . . . Sergio R. Mistica

xxilt

.

,{ 391 :J1)(i

4Olr

406

I

409

12.07 Loyalty to Duty Sergio R. Mictica

409

12.08 Courtesy Sergio R. Mistica

12.09 Protecting Government Prop€rty

4't't

.

Sergio R. Mistica

CHAPTER 13 ANECDOTES DURING OUEZON'S WAR YEARS

.,'',,412

Ouezon, As MacArthur Saw Him Tirso L. Rodriguez 13.O2 A Pq{fect Union . 13.03 Anecdotes About MacArthur. . Primitivo C. Milan

13.01

13.04

MLO'S lllness

Was Considerably

.....418 .. ...418 Moral . , .

.

Basilio J. Valdes 13.05 Quezon's Crowning Glory. Basilio J. Valdes 13.06 lntimate lncidents ln Quezon's War Years . . Basilio J. Valdes 13.07 Ouezon's lnstructions for Cooperation . . . . Sergio R. Mistica 13.08 Birth of the Underground Movement . . . . . Sergio R. Mistica 13.09 Baby Quezon Contributes to the War Efforts

420

422 423 424 426 427

Sergio R. Mistica13.10 13.11

Choosing His Successor Sergio R, Mistica The Philippine Government: From Manila to Washington

The PhilippinesStaff 13.12 Welcome Speech of Justice Murphy CHAPTER 14.01 14.O2

14

427

. 431 .438

OTHER ANECDOTES ABOUT MLO'S PERSONAL]TY

Five Ouezon lncidents. . . Jorge Bocobo 'Footnotes on Ouezon. . .

Ronald Lacson 14.03 Anecdotes About Quezon. Carlos Ouirino 14.O4 The Ouezon Legend. . . . . Adoracion Ouirino xxrv

.

440

.

442

.

448

.

451

14.05

Stories People Tell About Ouezon Felix B. Bautista

.454

14.06

Reminiscences on "The Star of Baler". A. O. Susara On Palace lllanners and Protocol

.459

14.O7

Jesus V. 14.O8

.462

Merritt

Ouezon's War With the Ugly Americans.

V. Merritt 14.09 Ouezon As I Knew Him .

.467

Jesus

Jose S. Laurel

14.10

.

lll

The President Goes to Bilibid

Paltik 14.11 MLO'S ltch for Work Anytime . . Sergio B. Mistica 14.12 Waking Up Early forWork . . . . . . Sergio R. Mistica 14.13 Preparation of His lnaugural Address to the First National Assembly Sergio R. Mistica 14.14

One Man's Fire.

. . . ..

.471 .473 .475

.475 . . .477 478

Zacarias Nuguid

14.15 On Romulo and l-ife

479

Sergio R. Mistica 14.16 A Classroom Discussion Jose Francia 14.17 "Tunay Na Punong Lalawigan., . . Sergio B. Mistica 14.18 The Mauban Debacle Sergio R. Mistica 14.19 "Bueno, Bueno, Sayang Ka" . . . . Sergio B. Mistica 14.2O the President Flepents Sergio B. Mistica 14.21 Another Storm Subsides. . . . . Sergio B. Mistica 14.22 His Secret

480 480 482 483

4U 485 487

Jesus M. lntengan

14.23 Secret Mission Francisco Dalog, Jr. '14.24 f he Man Who Once Saved Ouezorr. Pastor Almacen, Jr. 14.25 Ouetorr arrd Alctlru Dalisay Bocobo

xxv

490 492 494

1i

14.26 Manuel L. Ouezon and

496

I

Proceso E. Sebastian 14.27 Reminiscences on MLO Alvaro S. Basilides

PART tII CHAPTER

-

499

HIS FIGHTS

15 FIGHT FOR POLITICAL SUPREMACY

15.01

Rise

of President Ouezon to Leadership. .

507

.

Eulogio B. Rodriguez 15.02 Ouezon and His Fights.

...

Rodrigo C. Lim

.511

......518

15.03 The Reluctant Partners.

Benvenuto R. Difto 15.04 The Political Philosophy of Manuel L. Ouezon . Claro M. Recto

526

.

CHAPTEB 16 FIGHT FOR PRIORITY TO THE PACIFIC OF WORLD WAR I!

16.01 When Ouezon Cried "Basta" Frederic S. Marquardt 16.02 When Pres. Ouezon Broke lnto Tears . . . . . Emigdio Cruz 16.03 A Review of President Quezon's Contribution To Allied War Efforts. . . Harry W. Frantz

539 544

.

..

.552

CHAPTER 17 FIGHT FOR ABSOLUTE AND COMPLETE INDEPENDENCE

17.O1 Ouezon and the Campaign for Philippine lndependence. . . . Nicolas Zafra 17.02 lndependence of the Philippines and Defense of the American Flag. .

17.03

558

568

Address of Pres. Ouezon to U.S. House of Representatiyes Proposal for lmmediate Grant of the lndependence

of the Philippines .

.

xxvl

576

Quezon's Greatest Triumph: Absolute and Complete Independence Benvenuto R. Difto 17.O5 Advancement of Date of Phitippine'lndependence . 17.06 Senator Tydings' Draft of a Joint Besolution to Accomplish lmmediate Phitippine

17.o4

I

581 .

590

590

ndependence

17.O7 FRD'S Message to Advance Proclamation

of Philippine lndependence 17.08 FDR Signs Joint Resolution Passed by Congress Advancing Date of lndependence 17.09 FDR's Explanatory Statement 17.10 P6;1;ooine lndependence on July 4, 1946 . , 17.1 1 lndependence Under Circumstanoes

.

594 596 598 600 601

Assuring Success

2 Ppqsl6mation of lndependence Not Beyond July 4, 1946 . . . . 17.13 MLO'S Explanatory Statement 17.14 MLO'S Last July Fourth Message.

17.1

.

602 605 607

THANATOPSIS APPENDIX "A" (MLO's Address on "Spiritual Revival of the Filipino People" INDEX ABOUT THE AUTHOR

609

xxvil

619 631

655

Part [: TEIOUGHTS

R1 OVERVIEW

A NATION BUILDER

1.01

Francis Burton Harrison

%/\/ir,^*r%#r%3; FRANCIS

,/t,.'

nf,

ur(

/P.rn1- , han:/, -,V.h.

r0r lt'! 1Qr'w^a

J

h

srl-, s 'ry/s'

*iu*r. /no')G /r'J

diJ

'"'

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;

aua

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/o

lecc"*

/ooz-

4e-ffq a1 4aq.7.+ aar'/drl /" ?eay, /h./?m, t&M4Le (r/aqn\ /4- k:n-**ia a-**/to-l-

'n. {ol. fni;/.", Quq*, ^zrlo //" /-g

IEE

tdE

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b EE

3 a.U

'EiE ilz;-..o 9Aer. trg= g c!

.

ouEZoN

h***Ti.l,rf :rr#:{*"1,,,,:F,:,..;r:rffi IL",lf',*:,::l tl{lil

::lJ::''#:'fi iJ::X"l':il'lrat

ana ri nd out who is

ln the controversY"'

National Bank to With that the President directed the Philippine

central which was at the

llry the entire stocks of the Binalbagan sugar share of the sugar central ,ir,, ," difficulties. He immediately fixed the ..nnou|.centandthatfortheplanterat60percent.Previouslyitw35 the planters and before

shares of io,,,r.'Ouezon gradually increased the Cluezon ordered that the ad But 35'65' lho world war the snaring was be spent to improve living planters should ,ii,,,rror 5 per cent tor itre r,l}rrrlttions of the farm laborers'

it continued to be oWned After the war the sugar central' although experi'

t,y rtro PNB, was sold

Uact
'a 'oo c' ot EP

6O LL

:o

I

:.o

5> o6

,

-.o

i;T

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VOTION TO I-HE IVIASSES

N

were exposed was Senate. I yesterdaY

6

G

a

o,

o

> 6

T

s

E

E

E

8 j

to politics and lVlanuel Luis Ouezon, then president of the only 'l 2 but I rememLier hirn well as though it were only

'

He would arrive on short notice causing my mother to go into al6ost hysterical preparations. She would call on the entire neighborhood for help. I rnyself would be enlisted to clean the family's red floral carpet which was only laid out for special occasions. There were times Ouezon arrived unannounced and r,vent directly to his room to sleep even before we had finished putting the bedclings. He felt right at home in our house.

for Ouezon whose number one favorite dish pawikan (deep sea turtle cooked with sampaloc leaves). Other dishes he favored included inihaw na sebo with calamansi juice, calderetang kambing, rellenong manok, adobo and pinangat (dried fish wrapt ip gabi leaves steamed in coconut nrilk). We had a regular cook

was sinampalokang

:

>

281

Upon waking

in the mornings,

Ouezon usually took lukewarm

baths and I was engaged to hand trim his soap and towel. Before breakfast, he might drive to neigbhorirtg Calauag to drink coffee with one of his best friends, Don Tomas l/lorato and return to Gumaca before proceeding to Manila.

,

lt was a relaxing time for Ouezon. But he also had to contend with politicians who crowded our house to court his favor or just talk to him about politics. I r,,vas amazed that he called everyone by their first names.. He talked himself hoarse but he raised his voice (and thick eyebrows) to puilctuate iris taik. l hough he r,'ras merely conversitrg, I renrember how he seemed to cast a spell over our visitors who hardly moved until he finished talking. One night after dinner, he reached out for a scrumptious-looking of atis. But when he touched them, he realized they were only decorative and could not be eaten. The future president got a big kick out of the delicious deception and inquired who made them. They were the industrial art projects.of my sisters, Felicitas and Nenita who were then internas at the Centro Escolar de Sefioritas on Azcarraga Street norrr Claro bunch

M. Recto Avenue.

..

How Ouezon came to be a regular in our house is a story itself.

One day a special train carrying US Senator Wheeler and his daughter together with Ouezon stopped by Gumaca to pick up my father and his

party

to attend a dinner ball in the neighboring town of Lopez. After left Gumaca, my mother gave birth to a baby boy. When Ouezgn and my father came back to Gumaca, they visited mother and Ouezon yolunteered, "l'll be the god-father to this boy". This was my youngest ,brother Manuel, who's now a doctor. He's named after his godfather. they

0uEzoN

,ll')

Ir

Due to the senate president's hectic schedule, a whole year went re the baptism could be held. But it was well worth the wait. To th , I feel it was the grandest baptismal celebration in the provincs. df of two days, a dinner-dance in the evening and a whole-d ric the following dav. The three intersecting roads fronting our residence were occupi cars coming from Manila, Batangas, Laguna and Tayabas. Ouez ly fetched my brother from my uncle's {Vicente Victoria) hous rlrcl him in his arms and brought him to the car for the cirive to chuic the church rites, a formal dinner dance followed at theground flo ortr horne.

His baptismal gift was a complete military uniform with cap

a

lo set which is now one of the family's treasured heirlooms. The famous Manila Orchestra of Zabat and the Paque's Orches lrrcban played dance tunes till early morning. But I was only 12 an in the sidelines watching the party from my father's office. I very much taken Ouezon was with beautiful ladies' After th how vorl t, Ouezon became a frequent visitor. each of his visits an occas r:olcbration in our home The last party to honor Ouezon which I witnessed was organiz lry father at the PC barracks to where the ladies and gentlemen of rrrl District were invited. Soon after, I had to leave Gumaca to enr llro Tayabas Provincial High School for four years and saw less of o lrrfluished house guest.

later, I went to Manila to enroll in a pre-med course at the U.P'

Ir,, I'aura. I\4y father became senior provincial boarcl ttternber acting Iton as governor. I found out Ouezon was not one to forget our h IttV. He would invite my parents to dine at his Pasay residence on R I Btr..t. Also my two sisters had the honor of being asked for luncheo llrl ()uezon home. Ouezon even asked my father what he could do for the 1r lrrrrr. But it was typigal of my father to ask favors only rr of his party.

While I was first year medical proper at the U'P. my mother w or ,,r:riously ill and was confined at the PGH. Ouezon heard abou I rlrrt his aide-de-camp, Col. Arsenio Natividad, to announce that r orrring to vlsit. Before he could, my mother died. Ouezon proceed ] Nationat Funeral Parlor with motorcycle escorts in tow and was D condole with the family.

I

lUluch later.

I

was to see the senate president during the glittering

lr,rlls of the Tayabas Association and the congressional balls at I0 Paviltion of the Manila Hotel. ln the latter affair, my buddy, A Df ana myself spent the entire evening trying to learn the tango fro Don. lt was then the rage of the day and Quezon had learned the dan tronr the world-famous Arthur Murray himself in New York

N

DEVOTION TO THE MASSES

by

his

.;1

day

ied

zon

se,

ch.

oor

and

stra

nd

I

ob.

hat

sion

zed the

roll our on on

hos'

Ro' ons o to fol-

was

ut it

t

he

ouezon was very handsome in his tuxedo, griding on the dan floor as though he were froating up in the crouds. His dancing part

was his niece. Mary Angara (now Mrs. Eduard Morato) who wa, dres

in garnet brocade beaded with silvery fldwers. she compremented uncle's every graceful step. without her, I cloubt if ouezon would h succeeded sb well in his tango exhibition. Though Ato and I learned tango all right, there was little or none of the ouezonian grace in our sty when he became the first president of the phirippines commo

wealth, ouezon and his wife Aurora used tci give dinner balls for

Tayabenses at Malacaffarrgpalace and I would have the privilege of be among the group of the late Baby ouezon and her sister Nini (now M

Avanceffa), Mary Angara-Morato, pilar Martinez.Normandy. Raul Man lapus, charlie Albert and primitivo san Agustin. I can now boast tha rumba-ed with Baby, boogied with Nini and did the tango with Ma My most cherished memory of the president was during the form

dinner and balr for congressmen and their wives herd at Malacaffan This was probabry the president's rast sociar before world war il. M brother-in-law and my order sister, cor. and Mrs, Lauro Dizon (parents Mayor cesar P' Dizon of san pablo city) invited me to escort their niec the former Nini Aragon and together with congressman and Mrs. Tom Dizon and the great revorutionary, potenciano Marvar joined the tong ti of guests passing the reception. When Major Nieto announced * ir* the President looked at me from head to foot and smired, ,,si compadre ("How's your fatherl,'), ,,Mabuti po,, (,,He,s fine,,), was my quick rep and the Presiclent tlrrned to Dolia Aurora and saicr, ,,Anak ni compadre {"He's the son of our good friend,,). I did not know how many minute I stalled the reception rine and didn't care because r was waiking on a

For such a man, r wourd notmind being an errand boy air over again

From PHtLtpPtNE PANORAMA, August 13, 1g7g,pp. 12-16.

8.07

KALETDAN FAHM: OUEZON,S TESTTNG GROUND FOB HIS SOCIAL JUSTICE PROGRAM by SERAPIO CANCEBAN

ded the

ESCAPING from the boredom President Manuel

an' the

Ato

om

nce

2

t.

Quezon used

of officiarcjom at times, the rat to motor to his Kareirjan farrn at tho

foothills at the legendary Arayat mountain in pampanga. Hcrc, the fiery chief executive had built himself a country hornc, a sinrplc, nipa

roofed cottage surrouncled by fruit-bearing trees which had been planted by official rJignitaries that used to visit this model farm. Here members o the cabinet used to holcl meetings, discussing the affairs of the state amid

bucolic surroundings.

OUEZON

tr

o

c

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o

,,i

DE VOTION

TO THE MASSES

285

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ouEzo

P

Pr::,O.il9yezon r_ r_r

-

yolling

lorded over 625 hectares of.rich, ricefielft t by 150 farmers with their families. He had made this ideal fa t[nteA ground^of his social iustice program. ln the midst br.;iti tfrllno trouble, Ouezon's "f industry tenants lived lives of contentment and lfrlan a.fair percentage of the harvest, provided tfrem wi If:on.Sare them

her ov ns husband Eliii:l,!i:i,:}',T:;TffIil,llll;,,.o ",,,:fr model farm. The welfare of the tenants' families was taken the ca,= ]llng

nl

o chapel, hospital. schoolhouse, and playgrounds were built for them wlllrin the hacienda. During the early days of the Pacific war, President Ouezon sough Itt lris somnolent retreat a few moments of relief from the growing 1s6 lfurrr. When finally he bade goodbye to his tenants, all of them cried to

lhrn

master.

ln gratitude for the benefits that President Ouezon had given the Ariryat folks, the town has adopted him as their favorite son. Now, only memories of the great leader remain: the concrete

$q$fi*wm*s*m*rffi [,*f-l; l'rom

I.OB

i*ilrffiri.:

[*::::

The PHILIPPINES HERALD, August

#rrii:,;,#, tr$ 31, 1972 (Special Report), p.

OUEZON AND THE CITY OF HIS DREAMS by CELSO AL. CARUNUNGAN

WHEN the body of President lVlanuel L. Ouezon was brought home

ftrr lrr hero's burial, President Manuel A. Roxas spoke before the join

Dlon of the Philippine Congress

IUfr

!fchievement

f J", Uvrr

on July 28,1946, extolling the glorio0S

of this great man. One of the things he mentioned as an outstand' of Ouezon was the founding of Ouezon City.

"He dreamed and designed the construction of a magnificent capita declared President Roxas, "the crowning jewel of the fame tha lo outlast him."

o$

tl{

ili

yl

it! ,

r=

m

hi

6:

or

,l e

pEVOTION TO THE MASSES

True enough, Ouezon City was the consuming dream of president auezon. And it formed a vital part in the fulfillment of his obsession to give social justice to the working man. ,'The poor and the weak should

not be oppressed", he said, "and the fundamental governmental policy should be not to'make the poor poorer and the rich richer. but to make the poor rich and to provide relief for the body." Thus, he envisioned a prace where the raborers wourd find a good home. He thought of a housing project for laborers and employees. where the government would construct houses to be sold or leased to the poor laborers. "The homesite project", he said, in his message to the second assembly of the Philippine Commonwealth, on September 18, lg3g,

"is designed to provide the working men and permanent employees with homes at a reasonable cost and, also, to serve as a model residential and community center."

ln the same address, ouezon underscored the need for transferring the site of the University of the Philippines "td provide adequate educational pllnt in an atmosphere conducive to mo!-al and scholastic standards appropriate to our highest public institution of learning,,. new

i

$ 7,

e

nt

S

'

al at

287

For these two projects, president Ouezon proposed ,,to create a chartered to do all things necessary fcr thc health, safety

city'

and happiness of the inhabitants".

while having breakfast one morning in Maracafiarrg, ouezon and Don Alejandro recommended the Diliman Estate for them. Realizing the prospects of an cver-expanding lVIanila, ouezon agreed with Don Alejandro that the site was ideal and, forthwith, he authorized Don Alejandro to negotiate for the purchase of the said site with the Tuasons. Don Alejandro asked his son Ramon to make all the necessary arrangements with the Tuason famiry who owned the property. within a few days, the People's Homesite Corporation was organized under the

National Development Company. Although Don Alejandro was appointed of this homesite, it was his son Ramon who actually did

general manager all the work.

The government bought j,512 hectares from the Tuason family at five centavos per square meter, and the Tuasons donated to the government 493 hectares on condition that the land would be used as the new site of the University of the philippines. One bright morning, with his friend and physician, Dr. Antonio

Sison, Ouezon stood upon a hill and surveyed the Diliman area where the new city was to be buirt. He dreamed of a paradise for the workers and a modern university that wourd be the best in the orient. Actualry, with the area given by the Tuasons, the university wourd have the largest campus in the world.

llr ly on h drea fi1 city E ry tirne h was )uezo n wor ked fur ith the abo re rs on the He wou ld ta k I tr: wou td ru sh to Di ma n. chi td re Wi th hom esi te, and even th e SM ll rc carpe n te rs ln th r th pl ace A ove go ing al Ak:ja n dro, he woLl td spe nd ma rly hours re used to re the v;he Ba ntay lrc wou td go U p to what IS now B ago ouse resth for his SlTl al .,Irla ke, and where he p anned to bu it d irnd t riends n h ls message to the N a o a Asse mb v ()n Sep te m be 8 1 939 new city h e was recomme nded th of fi ial recog n iti on of th e He had o n ame foi in the D m n E state, n orth o M an la. ggested that they n fact, wh en h s fri nds and col le agu es SU ltl! he sa id 'Give me VE m sti afte r h m he objected st ro n s ly to die first. Besides, there are many other better names we can (

I

orki ng n the sl te h ad started ca ng t Ouezo n City ay Th e U sage h ad become so ame n th ilrlws papers refe r red to ls obj ecti on ate r Thus, wh en h raw wi thd to that CV en Ou ezon h ad th Act N o 502 wh ich was nweal mo Com passed ona Assem bl on Octo be 1 2 939, the ident P res the by igned tn to AW th AW became th city and Ouezon, a{te ici al ly named Uut the PeoPle

lity

was off

cl r arte r.

of the CommonWlren the nation celebrated the fourth anniversary the creation of the announced hAlll on November 15, 1939, Ouezon such deeply. of was subject The r:ity to the entire Filipino nation' eyes as he liis in welled actually valr-te to him that tears r,,rrtimental

{rll

r,,

,,yo u he sa id, time' ba rr io of 1r:11i on occu pied today by the

"withi n

a sh ort

see a n EW c ity bu it over ^t ara a ncl dt

the mun c pal iti e5

t it be a model ;rriqu i na, S an J ua n tvr an dal u yong, an d Cal oocan OU ave n u es of sp AC the th streets as bi s a nd as wid ne city esta bt sh there il n t ri ti OS of E u rope an d Am nca and the goverll m bl e m an comforta com mu nit es wh ere ou labore rs ca n ive in ri ate to the we il be ng. ty the capital Ihe d ream of P rest de n Ouez on WA to m ke th c fo seve ral nd fl e h Ph ti pp I nes. n ruth, h had been consu ti ng M an il a. rom tr ans ferr ng th cap tal of the coun ry AW ay

bout

a ny tha t M a nl la woul d be an easy target for zon Oue nt me bom bard ng force st nce it was too open for a ny nava an, ansa D n VE e studied the possi bi tie s of Bagu o, T agayta ll(: tua what knew (now M a rawi C ty fo the capital te B u Ou ezon p a CC h ha d n tTl ind qne ted. And h saw n the D m a n sl te the

been ta ked

a bor.rt

I

per rn t the was near lVlanila, but large en ough in area to of a future urban comnrunitY.

DEVOTION TO THE MASSES

"Physically,

it

289

was desired", said Don Pio Pedrosa, rvho was very

"that the nation's close to President Ouezon cluring those years,

capital wide, by placid criss-crossed metropolis, and sedate beautiful be a should public where the boulevards, and avenues sidewalk-bordered and tree-lined buildings and the residential areas would be interspersed between and inside public parks, and which would, as much as possible, be free of the

hurly-burly of commercial and industrial traffic'" Then on February 26, 1940, Ouezon met with the officials of Oueand the board of directors of the People's Homesite Corporation. City zon he said: "l called this joint meeting to discuss the plan meeting, this At of future development of Ouezon City and the People's Homesite Corporation. ln my opinion, Ouezon City should be made the capital of the Philippines. lt is now a settled matter that the Capitol Building shall be erected in Ouezon City and I am seriously considering recommending the construction of the Executive [/lansion and the executive offices as weil in Ouezon City. The city government should, therefore, plan now the dey'elopment of Ouezon City as the future capital of the Philippines.'.'--* S"Lurt before the war broke out, the foundation for the proposed capitol building were placed in the middle of the elliptical circle wheri the unfinished Ouezon [\ilonument now stands. But after the war, those who came after Ouezon thought that this was not an ideal site for the national capitol and. instead, decided to put it up in that area near La Mesa reservoir, where now only the grim rusting skeletal frame has been

noises and

huilt.

1 After Ouezon died at Saranac Lake, New York, there was doubt whether his dream of making liis city the Philippine capital would be realized. On July 23, 1946, President Manuel Roxas, through Administrative Order No. 5, created the Committee on Capital City site. "to take charge of the.selection of the most suitable site on which to bulld the capital city of the Philippines and the capitol building or buildings". There were extensive studies made of various sites. Public hearings were held for the. purpose of gauging public opinion. Sixteen sites were proposed f rom Bataan to San Pablo to lloilo. After months of serious investi-qation and research, the Committee chose Ouezon City over all the others, because it alone satisfied all the requirements that the Committee stipulated for an ideal capital city. By virtue of Republic Act. No. 33, QLrezon City was cieclarecl, on July i 7, i 948, the capital of the Plrilippines atrr-l tlre llermanettt seat of tlro nalional rtovcrrtt'rtent.

u'

a long tit'ne since Out--zon stood t-tpott that lrill in Dilintan to sr.rrvey the site ultorr which was to stand the city he drearned about and lovecl so nruclr. "l clreanr of a capital city", he told his closest iriends then,

It has beun

"that, politically, shall be the seat of the national government; aesthetical-

,0t

OUEZON

I

I

".'f

I luklrrg over the site of his dream city: "l dream of a capital city lhrt, politically shall be the seat of the National Government; aesthelltrlly the showplace of the nation -a place that thousands of people tlll r.orno to visit as the epitome of the culture andspirit of thecountry; Itlrlnlly a dignified concentration of human life, aspirations, endeavors Irrrl nr:lrieverients; and economically, as a pruductive, self+ontained lrrrrrrrnrrnity." - Manuel L, Quezon

ON TO THE MASSES

s:\",.,

55. Quezon laying the cornerstone

of the new Capitol of the Philippines at Ouezon City at 10:40 a,m., Friday November 1s, 1940.

291

OUEZ

rlrrwl)lace ll

a5

r{l n

rl I

lt,v

I

pito me

that thousands of peqpls pi t of the co u ntry;

a place

o

h

cu tu re and the

fie d co n ce ntr a

n

of hu m a n

th

n d econo m ic ly

t(l n ts;

llv A,

AS

a

rl )i

h

I

and

d rea m c

be h a \J pv

ty

too

h as at leas

ati ons,

n d eavoR

5e f -conta ned co m.

ts progress nd tre me ndous Ou o n WC re al VC oday

a

bly sm

AS pr

te

p rodU ctive

Oue zo n C ty today a to m ag ne tha n ot d ff IC u

loo k

ll

Yt"t

of the nation -

Fo

fte th rty -th ree te mPes.

bec ome

a

gl OW tn

b reath

PHILIPPINES HEBALD, August 31, 1972 (Special Report), pp.34.

lI

:

THE BEGINNINGS OF OUEZON CITY by PIO PEDROSA appreciate the honor of having been asked to particip'at{ lrrrltam tonight. I have thought that among the reminiscences I

I:eplV

;":,:, ;:$ Iiff*,illil,^-"::.":: ",".:. to Emilio rt

become Executive Secretary Abello, later J Minirt.r and still later Ambassador to Washington, D.C., wai Itttnt. A young lawyer, Felino Neri, later Ambassador to Japani Illtlrt.n, in the allocation of export quotas under the Tydings-Mc., lOt. f.r. Eastern University's President Teodoro Evangelista was lfirtt, assistant; Dr. Mariano lcasiano. health assistant; and Pro J;no Castittejo, administrative assistant. Our over-all headman' Muralco's

I"Lltttu President", Secretary Jorge B. Vargas. His right-hand man In ConraOo Benitez, later the only City Councilor reelectionist ]hant Council for Good Government of Ouezon City. h proposed national capitol of the Philippines had, as long as any Ild rememOer, been planned to be erected on Wallace Field. The Ittcr was to face the Rizal Monument and the Bay beyond Burn' Ifn, tt was'to be flanked at its back and right and left sides, along

;

and P. Burgos and San Luis Streets, by f ive executive depart' [|lAtngr, all of the same plan and design, and standing side by side

Dnra,

I$ffi,:#";j,*:TJr,lff

:::iri::",i:::1rT'"#ll;

I gtvcn at the Ouezon Night Dinner Program, tr[ort., 7:30 P,m.. Ausust 19, 1964.

Philippine Columbian Asso.

I

MASSES DEVOTION TO THE

56.

President Ouezon addressing the Nation at the site of the Capitol in Oue2on City at 11:00 a.m. Friday, November 15, 1940.

253

OUEZON

I

with Speaker Paredes, Secretary Yulo, Justice Jose Abad others at the sth Anniversary of the Commonwealth site, Cluezon Citv, on Fridav, November 15' capitot ine

Mnrching

lrrrtos,

i;;i;i ;i 1$40.

lnd

DEvoTloN To rHE

MASSES

295

Bumor had it that someone was said to have whispered to President Ouezon that Wallace Field was not a good site for the national capitol should building. ln case of war, it was said, and the defenses at corregidor

Manila 6s unavailing, and enemy battleships should succeed in entering of Bay as did Admiral Dewey, Wallace Field would be the easiest target bombardment. I believe this was specious.

The real motive, as President Ouezon himself later expressed it, was to have a capital city that. "politically shall be the seat of the National Government; aesthetically, the show-place of the nation -'aplacethat thousands of people will come to visit as an epitome of the culture and the spirit of the country;socially, a dignified concentration of human life, producaspirations, endeavors and achievements; and economically, as a desired the nation's was that it Physically, community". tive,self-contained capital should be a beautiful, placid and sedate metropolis. crisscrossed by wide, tree-lined and side-walk'bordered avenues and boulevards, where the public buildings and the residential areas would be interspersed between the inside public parks, and which would, as much as possible. be free oI the noises and hurlyburly of commercial and industrial traffic. It was also observed that world capitals had served. in the course

encourage accelerated development of their surrounding hinterlands. Then, as in the cases of Australia, Brazil, Turkey, and others, national capitals had been moved from time to time, from place to place. as a magnet to attract developmental enterprise into the surrounding areas of tireir neur locations. lt was {or these reasons , it'"vas said, that President Ouezon had been in constant consultation with friends about the advisability of converting either Baguio, Tagaytay, or Dansalan in Lanao to become the capital city of the Philippines. It would seem that the area now occupied by Ouezon City offered the compromise solution. lt was near enough to Manila to overcome the disadvantages of distance of Baguio, Dansalan or Tagaytay, and wide

of time, to

to permit the development of an urban area along the lines dreamed of by the President. ile wanted a capital clty something like Washington,

enough

D.C., or New Delhi, or Mexico City.

The elliptical circle where the unfinished Ouezon Monument stands was originally planned as the new site of the national capitol building. As a matter of fact, the foundations of that proposed edifice had been sunk when the lastwar broke out. Later, even that area - although I think it was no longer the so-called military strategy reason that motivated the move

-

was not considered a good enough site for the national capitol

buitOing. lt was abandoned after the Liberation for the site near La Mesa reservoir. The trarrsfer of the capitol site from Wallace to Diliman, if it had truly been planned on the basis of naval strategy, did not take into

ouEzoN

lhtr

rirtion the range of sea artillery and much less the potentialities l, and nowadays of missile, warfare mention, parenthetically, that the elliptical circle is today improvements under the ioint auspices of the Quezon Me. t,ark Beautification Committee, the Quezon Monument National rttoe, and the Quezon City lVlayor's Executive Committee. The cost to now being defrayed from voluntary contributions received from irited citizens and organizations appreciative of the great legasy l'rcsident Ouezon left to the nation one night, about the end of October, 1939, my phone in the MalaExecutive Office rang. I was to go up at the porch overlooking thg I-he big shots at the time, as well as the "Casiana" cronies of ths were there. Don Alejandro Roces, Mr. Jacob Rosenthal, Don Health Director Eusebio D. Aguilar, Public Works Director' Fragante, Mayor Tomas [\ilorato of Calauag, and of course Mr. Just ice Abad Santos, Speaker Yulo, Mr. A.D. Williams, t\4r. Abello, , Mr. Evangelista, Professor Castillejo, Dean Benitez, Civil Serv. (irrrrrmissioner Gil, and others of the Malacafiang staff, were there. My diffidence at getting into the crowd was not improvecl at all, upon approaching it, l\4r. Vargas said: "Mr. President, here is Ped.

May

I

I

I.he President looked at me from under those unstable uyrOro*, ancl he said: "Oh_Pedrosa, you are geasurer. Jake here is the assesY oir teach him how to assess." He was referring to [Vlr. Rosenthal. I nodded rny head for not l=N €-i

X oT'.9 c

830

-^to 8c E .tE'* oL=

o 9E

.r 3t

i'f

OFts

ctrc, O'- = d. -€

o.= 6 *3E o-o

=O-' 35

rrif

zoa

159g 6roC -c(oo F 3() @

lo

bEvoTloN To THE

MASSES

301

i l

59.

The Ouezon Monument, Ouezon City, inside which is the statue

of the Father of Absolute and Complete

encc of the Philippines.

tndepend_

OUEZON

afternoon, about 6:00 o'clock, when our City was only as p re pa n ng to leave Ouezon C itv for M a laeq days old d aken the o d il a pidated bu il di ng of the A fa ble fami ly which

ft,

I

€t h il I

lh

lrll

former Man it a ci ty H osp tal as ou r C itv Hal Be hi n d the rltrrl; was an equally dilapidated wooden structure that had served Iulrror hospital's nurses'home. We had no thought of using it. lrc

rou nd the n was grassland, mostl v cogon. tal ah b was lu xu ri an t. had bout twe n ty t ve carpenters,

lhu,,, romembe th at ,IY

rI

nt:cs

J6trl.iunt

and plumbers, reconstructing the main building

and

ll llt for use

Ar M,ryor Morato and I were standing at the doorway of our im. lirty Hall, there emerged a line of soldiers, thirty of them as I lut later, led by a Constabulary lieutenant. from behind a tall rl trrlahib, in the corner of what is now Mrs. Nini Ouezon-Avanlmoline station. The June 19th Boulevard, later renamed Highway lrrr:rrrrtly Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, east of the old N. Dom the Marikina road in ;t Dt tro, San Juan that projected itself into graders' by road torn being was still Hall, City I trur lhs licutenant saluted my Mayor and introduced himself as 2nd rt Alfonso Torillo from Camp Crame. Mayor Morato who until I htraty understand, and much less speak, Engli sh, asked me what I wrnt.O. I told him they wdre reporting for duty' "Why?" he I toltl him we had our brand-new police force of Ouezon City wirlr the temporary Chief of Police, the young Constabulary }, "Whut do we do?" he asked, getting tense. I told the lieuten' ltl Mrryor was asking what we were supposed to do. He answered lhr rrrilrr were enlisted Constabulary soldiers and should have barracks. lrrl out that barracks meant also beds, blankets, pillows, mosquito

tetephone tine connected that verv dav. lt should be tl l;rct, if history were also to record the unimportant happenings tlr,rt the first official call made from our Ouezon City Hall over J *tt to Gil Puyat of Gonzalo & Sons. He was a kid brother of an IfO of mine in my university days, Deogracias, who was a fraterIbw in the Upsilon Sigma Phi. The telephone call was to ask Gil store, ll ro l)flce was of the ron beds disp la'yed n th r R za Ave n ue lor wa ited gh and t away n th rty send t.l'l 7 00. told h m to was and himself washed had, had already I*, Tft, electrician we Irrrt lor the supper to be served by an old lady' I told him toextend rroprrection to the dilapidated nurses' home building. lrnt night, when Mayor Morato came back to see what had hapa lrrr found that the soldiers had had their supper, each one had match' to net Irow iron bed with mat, pillow, blanket and mosquito

Ili,flll;

DEVOTION TO THE MASSES

303

in place. Some who were not on duty were already preparing to go to

sleep; others were reading the "Liwayway".

I have a suspicion that if President Ouezon developed a better liking later, it must have come from the handling of our original City me fur that night. I heard that for his habitually unbounded generforce police praising good work done, Mayor Morato must have annoyed the in osity president telling him again and again, during their coffee hour every morning, what an efficient treasurer he had. Later, we dicFbegin to recruit our regular police force and were able with the Constabulary detail assigned to us. Former Governor to de Leon of Bataan, an ex-Army Captain, became our regular Chief Sabino A few months afterwards, Mayor Morato had to be absent Police. of weeks to to his private interests in Tayabas. As the senior attend a few he6d in the City administration, and as Vice Mayor Fragante department I had to serve as Acting Mayor. lt coincided that not available, also was Police Sabino de Leon was holding a kind of police seminar. of Chief program at which the Acting Mayor was the day had last they a the On Our City was beginning to have a few residences built speaker. guest there, along the new streets and avenues that under the indeand here driving and supervision of Don Alejandro Roces had been laid fatigable Of asphalted. course the old streets like Espaia Extension and N. and dispose

Domingo were already well built up.

Since I was talking to police and security officers, I thought that the effectiveness and reliability tc the inhabitants of tl're City of our new police system could be gauged even by the manner the new residential houses were.being designed and built. lcalled attention to the City of Manila residences. No matter how beautiful, regardless of the district where built, and irrespective of the cost of construction. an inevitable feature

of the architectural

design of every house in lVlanila was the iron

and steel barred doors and windows.

The bars may be in any artistically conceived motif. The poorer houses have to satisfy themselves with tangili two-by-twos. Homes are thus converted into small Bilibid prisons, with this difference: the bars of our home prisons are not for keeping criminals in; they are, we always hope every night we go to bed, for keeping criminals out. Our Manila dwellings have had to be barred because we have no confidence in the efficacy of our pollcc services, in protecting us, our properties, our lives, our honor, in the supposed sanctity and security of our homes. I appealed to our police seminar if by their dedication and devotion to duty it might be possible to develop a door and window design for the new homes in Ouezon City that need not be fitted with steel grills and bars. I thought that that was one of the hopes and dreams of President Oue-

.,r

OUEZON

t,l

In having a new capital and residential city built separate and

I

inde-

ii#:i":; not know by what srapevine communica. Er;JJT;;lI message had reached the old man (Pres. Ouezon), ft rystm the IpaO by my desk in the Executive Building.

he

coming in from one of his

J'l,,lil;.i:ii",H.,:ffigood[',T,"#',];i.i'iii;:;##."J'.'"'-:lJ; the iron grills ! !J|

talk about on residential "P"drosa, that was a anA windows." I thanked him. He went on towards Secretary

ffjffi

liid

not walk on solid sround that nisht.

I From HISTORICAL BULLETIN, vol. B, Dec. 1964, No.4, pp.23'32.

1,10

OUEZOI!'S GIFT: A DREAM OF SOCIAL JUSTICE "Not For A Few Alone, But For All, Especially The Poor"

by EMERENCIANA Y. ARCELLANA Asociate Professor of Political Science, U.P.

I l'HE YEAi-t of the inaugurationlof the Philippine C _,E ts'E

EE l) -o

!:

."8 3g

$+ FiE .Eg

.E

IE O'E

50 Oo (o

oUEZON',S LAGDAS

injustice

393

in any form. Nothing could provoke him to anger more

seeing a man denied his rights under

than

the law.

As President of the commonwearth, ouezon made it one of his first tasks to overhaul the judiciary, in order to make it, in his own words. ,,as perfect as humanly possible". He had hardly warmed his seat in Malacafrang when he announced that "to bulwark the fortification of an orderly and just government, it shall be my task to appoint to the bench only men of proven honesty, character, learning and ability, so that everyone may feel when he appears before the courts of justice that he will be protected in his rights, and that no man in this country. from the chief Executive to the last citizen, is above the law." There was no question that, at the beginning of the commonwearth regime, the Philippine judiciary as a whole was below standard. There was

so much incompetence in judicial ranks that the people were beginning lose faith in the administration of justice. prevalent among the masses then was the feeling that justice in this country was only for the rich and

to

the powerful.

To begin with. the justice of the peace courts were presided over who should have been pranting camote instead of dispensing men by justice. The courts of first instance had their share of antiquated and de_ crepit judges whose ideas, philosophy of life and sense of justice were out of tune with the times - "judges with lgth century mentality,,, as ouezon called them. A good number of them were leading immoral lives, while not a few were failures in the law profession who hacl landed their positions solely through political pull. ln fact, even the highest tribunal of the land - the Supreme court - was then not beyond reproach. lt was rumored in those days that favorable decisions of that body could be secured for a consideration through the wives or the mistresses of some of its members. True or not, this kind of task tended to undermine the people's faith in our courts. ouezon was aware of the wretched state of our judiciar system. So he undertook to revamp it from top to bottom, in accordance with the Commonwealth Reorganization Act. ouezon started with a series of pronouncements on what he expected members of the bench to be from the lowly Jps to the august Su-

preme Court justices.

"From now on, iustices of the peace must be justices of the peace and nothing else", he declared. "The time when a justice of the peace could be the tool of any person is past. Any justice of the peace who does not feel that he is sufficiently strong to declare himself independent of the whole world had better get ready to quit now, because he is liable to lose his position in a way not creditable to himself.,,

OUEZON

ouEZOl'J's

s95

LAGDAS

of the law? slas he a iurist and the ne\A constitution as wetl as the letter the remaining Supreme Court of quizzed one each I legalistic? reiy not rre placed otlrer human rights on they whether ascertain to turn irr justir:es officials who used property. Those of right iudiciary the level as ,hu ,r*r Supreme Court or to the to get pull appointment an political tc through Ccurt of Appeals were, in my view, utterly undesirable for such a the

post."

Ouezon's policy of appointing to the bench only men "of the in highest integrity and unquestioned moral character" was best shown the case of an assemblyman from the South who did not run for reelection to give way to a man of Ouezon's choice. One of the solon's friends judge of suggested to Quezon that he appoint the former assemblyman first instance.

Quezon flared up at tlre suggestion.

,,Thatfellowisthelastmanonearthlwillappointtothebench!,,

gambler." ouezon exclaimed heatedly. "He is immoral and an inveterate extraneous other political and of abhorrence Ouezon's lliustrative of jr-rdiciary was the case of a iudge of first influences in matters affecting the oldest members of the bench in point of the was one instance. This iudge to preside over one of the branches promoted him cf service, so Ouezon was pending confirmation appointment the while of the court in Manila. the secretary of justice however, Appointments, by the Commission on judge. The secretary thereupon in"harmful" to the received information charges' the investigate r,uho him to ordered formed Quezon was approached by a Ouezon going on, was While the investigation on behalf of millionaire. chinese his, a of compadre very close friend and won a previously had out, it turned judge. businessman. The chinese the case in the sala of the iudge. lnstead of having the case quashed, Ouezon immediately ordered the secretary not to proceed further with the investigation - because, according to him, "regardless of the merits of the complaint, there is sufficient cause for the Chief Executive to consider him (the appointee) unworthy of the position of iudge by the rnere fact that in order to keep himself in his present position, he has appealed to the said Chinese merchant to intervene on his behalf". At the same tirne, ouezon wrote the

commission on Appointments

to allow him to withdraw tlre Jttrlqc's

nomination.

"Officials

of the

Philippine government", Ouezott

sai-, {

^* )?t/ t,{"kr,

(tof

.'

c/'l/-ti'/.AtN- /to/ t' i-j-- +-'

4- > 6'1, /,.' i'7't"' i',1")''1'

)1,

\/,J

rt

{ l"/

-.-',, .^-./'"') /' t 7/,,- i,.--'/'' /' ,//r, /

1r.1Ja..., l- / r< \'

I

V.,.'

/t't'

//ra

/.,,., n1

t ll

, .tr

/

1.- .^€

lr-,,-/r- ,-,1*- )V;< fou-)' c t/tt-t. /ta-/,-.^-n.*)--,1,,/,1*! );

/" / /?i

fu,,'ftt*"')- 17 ,/t-* 3*y Jr,;rr S).,'-^-.'') /lo.r4 u/ yr^ J',n"/i,, .

*;

/ [.4

'/F"

F,

',/ )'"' D'

12.05 ,,YOU ARE REALLY STUPID, JUDGE!

"

by A. C. ABEAR of Argao, Cebu

A JUSTICE of the peace was reconrmcndcd for disr.nissal for an alof imnrorality. The ludge's case reached Malacanaig and aroused the curiosity of the President. The President wanted to know the whole leged act

OUEZON so he the case from the iudge himself, to h ls of{ice

to

cali

th e Judge was u she red nto his Accord ing to the com plai nts You are accused of immor al itv

Judge" the President said OU

gave instructions

tn the dead

ce rta n gi rl

of

her th ere. Th ts is qu ite

a

AS

n ight, u nder a

ree on

a

onely field

Now te me the s rave case, J udge.

the whole truth." the judge stammered.

ye yes, brr

P resi dent asked. with you of he own accord ?, the ith his ln noce nce sa id, try ing to mp ress the Presi dent

si rl go

the

iu dge

President's f ace li u p. th d. "when ou WE re together Ju dge" th e President sar conto you ab!e n ight, were the tree and n the dead of U nde v ou desires ?,

accusation. He wanted chance to get ou't of the fi rm and rirl So in the to bel teve he real ly did not harm a

iudge saw

nt

voice, he answered, "No, sir"' "You reallY mean to saY You did at?" the President thundered' Y ou are reallY stuPid, Judgel" And anythi ng? What a stuPid manl ended

with a wave of his hrand: "You

are dismissed f rom the

3, 1948, p.26. PHILIFPINES FREE PRESS' JanuarY

LOYALTY TO THE PRESIDENT vir legas, of Malacafian assigned MA RC H 7 1 938, E x- L t. noce ntes Assistant M ilitary Adviser to L t. Co l. Dwight D. E isenhower to th e offi ce of the President and Commonwealth, and summoned communicati o n, or Chief Executive with an official by the

"what

ts

to be official. this'letter?" asked the

Presi de nt.

Commandant n the copy of the letter to the ROTC legas. of Sto. Tomas" exp lained L t. vil the th write t5 etter?' aga n pounded And who auth orized you to

,,Th at,

sl

ts a

in the first sentence of the letter"' "secretarY Vargas, sir, as appears V illeg as. the Pres,,No V argas told me he knows nothi ng about it" co rrected

OUEZON'S LAGDAS

407

I assume the whole responsibility and am suffer to accordingly", confidently assured Villegas. willing "Do you realize that if you assume this responsibility, lshall dismiss you from the service?" intimated the President. "l understand the consequence, sir. and I can do nothing about it.,, "You said that Secretary Vargas instructed you to attend to the case reterred to in the letter. Now you assume responsibility. Don't you know that you are evading the truth? lwant people in this office to remain "Well, in that case, sir,

I do not need you here any longer", decided the president. "Your Excellency, permit me to say that I am loyal to you. But as it is now, I am swimming between hl/o currents, and I can hardl,r do it. The way I understand loyalty is first, to my immediate superiors, Secre_ loyal to me.

tary Vargas and Col. Eisenhower and then to Your Excellency.,, "According to this letter, you are deciding a matter of state, in which you have no authority to do." "l am not deciding the case, sir. I am only giving my views on the matter. lf you will believe, sir, the truth is, I have no personal interest in this case. I do not even know Mr. X, nor have I had the opportunity to meet or see him", confessed Villegas. "And who is interested in this case?" the President wanted to know. "Mr. Serapio Canceran, sir, your personal stenographer,,, revealed Villegas.

The President asked that Canceran be told to report to him immediately.

Upon being asked, Canceran admitted, without lresitancy, that he to intercede in behalf of his friend. The President, irked by such a disclosure, shouted, ,,Canceran, how could you take any interest in anything which wili embarrass this officel This is rvarning to you. lf you do it again, I shall dismiss you!,. And then, facing Villegas again, the President continued, .,Villegas, why did you have to commit yourself in this case?" requested Secretary Vargas

"Because, as a technical assistant

duties, sir,

to

it is one of my of the law (National

General Santos,

to

expla'in the meaning and operation Defense Act)", justified Villegas.

"And what do you know about the law?" the president wantecl to know.

"Sir, modesty aside. I

have a fair knowledge of the National Dcfcrrsr:

law."

"Then you should not have been only a lieutcnant lrut a

rrrajor

general!" sarcastically inferred the President.

The next day, the President called all his technical advisers to a Mr. Villegas, was likewise, instructed to be present. The President, at the meeting, read the contents of the letter to Villegas. conference.

OUEZON

th President decided phase of it F inal ly every scussd di group order remov tng and ciictated n a serious one ly real was the con'fe rees m atter of the P resid ent. Before Office th from sh oul d not be illegas repeated, "vil legas arcastical nt de resi P the general ieutenant. H e a maior d me to adv'ise Presid ent aske th ls ep isode the A few mon'ths after info rmed ill egas about

it

and

the officer n of San of Mu nlcl pal Bu ildi P re sl dent at the the meet a surhe make that p lannin s to Sun day as he was llowing fo e th ith face on Rizal face to llegas aga Il came the re And the re h ts

desi re

to

see

Ll

insPection

,,Good morning, sir", greeted Villegas'

the Presiden t. "Who are You?" inquired

ction

you off ice in conne you di smissed f rom am the officer of San to T omas sl n the U n ivers ty ce rtai n trainee Come with you f rom the service ,,oh yes. But did not di SM iss resi de nt. to go" nvite d th e P pl i{ V ou have no ace the Pres,s M ay or S antiago S an Juan for ng waiti re u wou ld wish While theY we ll egas, di scou rse and egas il tu rned to your caree n the govern' ntion to preiud tce ine between what that it as n ot my inte to define the d emarcation ou case s ave me It was onlY my desi re na tes mav not. ubord which do n do ng offi ce may know ou h ad bee a distinction ch su make uty tomorrow The opPortun itv to and repo rt for d ent ncid th orget F

work wel ou on ts sti ll open for

of your

al ness

and

am ce rtai il egas re pl ied am M President' se of the owl v chamPion th cau to ination fll€, ll al low kn own determ t if ou have shown m Bu C o. where & fo the kindness you Heacock the H. E. a m now with where n whi ch wish to stay serv ices badl rse You need mY cou of ess nl U better sal ry soon as poss ible sh al report as know on ly ant ou to re v ou are now But whe n to. remai All right ffice a nYtime you an n

n my o yo u can return to your iob accePt my sh to ask v ou to urthermore slr wi

res ignation

favor'

F

li*ffil

,;"1;1$x #,*",ff

x':

:'

409

OUEZON'S LAGDAS

TESTING ONE'S LOYALTY TO DUTY

12.07

THE PRESIDENT, early one morning, walked straight to the main gate of the Malacafian Palace, alone. The sentry, on perceiving the Chief Executive, stood stiff at attention. The President brushed past him and then returned, facing the sentry right in the eye. The sentry was noticeably immobile, erect and staring back at the Chief. "Give me that gunl" the President ordered. without however making a move to snatch it away from the sentry's hands. The sentry kept his silence and obviously refused to obey the order. "l said, give me that gun!" the President again barked.

Still the sentry remained stubborn. But this time, he answered softly, "l'm sorry, sir, but I can't give this gun to you, nor to anyone else, for that matter. Those are my orders."

I

expected!" the President remarked, patting the sentry on the shoulder. And he left, quite satisfied. - (From SERGIO R. MISTICA, op. cit., pp.61-62.)

"Goodl That's what

12.08

COURTESY

THE NIGHT was dark. Few people, if any, roamed around the city at that hour. For lightning and thunder did their best to cast gloom everywhere. But Official Car No. i ceremoniously made its appearance at the Escolta, ultimately stopping in front of the Cap!tol Theatre. With military speed and precision, Ma.jor Arsenio Natividad stepped out of the car and held open the door for a distinguished passenger to alight. The President of the Philippines walked directly to the lobby of the theatre. At that precise moment, Aide-de-Camp Nativldad focused his eyes upon a traffic policeman who, evidently, failed to extend the necessary official courtesy to the Chief Executive. "What is your Badge Number?" asked the Aide. "79 , si" , answered the traf f ic policeman. The aide jotted down the number and followed the President inside the theater.

The next morning traffic policeman Policarpio S. Jimenez and Capt. Silvestre Nievera, Chief of the Traffic Division, were ordered to report at Malacafian. While they were waiting at the office of Major Natividad, policeman Jimenez unconsciously placed his. helmet on the table of the Major, who, upon seeing it, angrily reprimanded Jimenez. A few minutes later, the President came in, greeting everyone warmly. The two police officers stood up rigidly at attention, saluting the President. Traffic policeman Jimenez held his hand in salute until the President beckoned him to put it down.

OUEZON

l0

A t

c

s

a

i

a

l

s

80. "l pledp

myself to persevere in

to sweep every -I-:ffi*s clean of every dele-

Government nook and Granny'"iitt" the body tt".t ir.tighl-in1prir.ttr^. vitaliw of

terious influence the Faculties and MLQ")" iit''iaariss before oolitic." 'student Bodies i''h;;'i'' l"i Rizal Mentoial Field'

'i"'i'

tr!i;;*::i;iW."l:;t'1it':;'tfi

''sti;'lu'tRe'i'ztat

D b

e

{rr

OUEZON'S LAGDAS

"l sent for you", the President began, "because I want you to understand that I don't care so much about courtesies, but I do expect them from you to show foreigners, especially, that the President of the Commonwealth is entitled to them." "Mr. President", replied Jimenez, "l actually saw Car No. 1 approaching the theater, but its flag was folded and I knew that it meant Your Excellency was not in there. When you came out finally, I no longer had any chance to observe the necessary courtesy. I was so taken unawares that I did not know what to do. Please believe me, Mr. President, when I say that I am one among those Filipinos who feel proud of Your Excellency."

"Your explanation

is clear

enough."

I shall recommend punishment for him, Your Excellency,,, suggested Capt. Nievera.

"No, Captain, don't do that". admonished the president. SERGIO R. MISTICA, op. cit., pp. 64-65.

12.09

-

From

PHOTECTING GOVERNMENT PROPERTY

THE PRESIDENT was strolling around the Malacaftan Palace grounds. As he neared the room of his son, Nonong, he was met by the sound of the radio in full blast. Ouickening his pace, he started for the door. lt was closed at the time and the President peeped at the keyhole. He could not

anyone, although the lights were glaringly briglrt. He opened the door and stepped in, calling for Andres Felix, the attendant of his son. Right in one corner of the room, comfortably seated in a de-luxe arm chair, with a newspaper in hand, he discovered the attend" ant, who failed to notice his entry and was deaf to his firstcall. When at last the boy noticed the presence of the Chief, he jumped up from his seat and ashamediy faced the President. "Why do you play the radio so loud and leave all the lights openT Don't you know that that belongs to the government? lf you don't lEdrn better, I will fire you", the President warned briefly and left the dazed employee. - .From SERGIO R. MISTICA, op. cit.. p. 59.

see

R13 WAR YEARS ES DURING OUEZON'S SAW HIM OUEZON, AS MACARTHUR bY TIBSO

L' BODBIGUEZ

Ouezcln n 903. first met M anuel L acArthu M second lieuas R A L Douglas West Po int and rad uate from l5 initial fresh a was iust Phil ippi nes for h se nt to the of engin ee rs, was

the co rp9

have di nner ne Constabu larY ln the PhiliPPi

was invite d you n9 ieutenant a

colone

to

with Capt.

James

at the ArmY and

enty o n scouti n9 and tn the Wall ed ci pa red the tex'tbooks pre Betm h had iust d to thank Harbord wan te apt. C and young PC two for use by the ntroduce d to would ike M acArthur

the di nner he

the ust fresh from

Sergllo Osme fia a9e L Ouezon and we re of the same of S anto T om as, rsitY ve nl U e th of

AS

aw

M ac-

of the meeting

h is Beminiscences the ch ief of staff to M acArthur n host wou ld become ou that become ize Li ttl di d real other two would an d th at the orce, F rY can ExPedi tiona alth or been SO gay of th Ph il ipPi ne Commonwe ml ght h ave not party the aps perh .,H ad we known again, t\ivo friends met it h ave been gayer ?,, ire before the transP to Ouezon was ar d rmy and Eighteen yea rs ge neral of the regul a br ig adie p of the House of r was al readY the spe akershi won nce ad h his political star +

sl ated

fo foreign

qh on the ist of affa gene ral an d hi le brigad a As Ph il pp ine lsl ands. to return to the had taker, MacArthur was tapPed other M Arthu r mu ch of e ach see to pl not Phi lip ne Scout But both were and I ate th e district itarY il m a il an of the M refer wh ch shou ld from th IS sen te nce SPeaker omitted rst fi been the has became cl ause was Osme na who 'Evide ntly the Sen ate ' of p fl ntin s' P resi d ent of tn the 'process became the fi rst LlfS

ntatives House of R eprese

'

Ouezon

lh

412

ANECDOTES DUBING WAR YEABS

413

brigade. As an added assignment, MacArthur was directed to make a study for the defense of Bataan and Corregidor. While Ouezon was engrossed in nation-building, MacArthur spent most of his waking hours plotting every foot of the rugged terrain, uncovering trails, going up and down mountainous slopes and noting down numerous bamboo thickets of Bataan and Corregidor. However, both were aware of the leadership and responsibilities of the other. These sterling qua!ities were put to a crucial test some twenty years later.

ln the early thirties, MacArthur returned to the now familiar Philippines and took command of all the American troops stationed in the islands.

Ouezon by this time had succeeded in gaining the sole leadership of as the highest commander of all US troops, saw much of each other.

the Filipinos and MacArthur

They had on many an occasion several free discussions and MacArthur. an intellectual himself, came to respect the intellectual prowess of the Filipino leader. He realized Ouezon's knowledge had a vast range. They had lengthy and spirited discussions of the growing threat of Japanese setting in Davao. Like [/]acArthur, Ouezon could read the dangerous expansion signs of the Japanese. He was aware of the Japanese buildup in Manchuria and its designs on China. He foresaw the clashing of these two Asian powers and like General MacArthur. Ouezon saw preoccupied of the consequences on the Philippines. So defense was uppermost in their mincjs. Ouezon worried over tlie lack.of a clearcut pattern of the US forces for the defense of the Philippines. To beef up the defenses of the budding republic, MacArthur came up with the plan to build a citizen armypatternedafterthatof Switzerland. Quezon concurred with the idea even as it met stiff opposition from his critics as well as detractors of MacArthur. While Ouezon could read the disturbing signs of the worsening international situation, MacArthur gave him a copy of the staff report. This disturbed him mo're. A portion of the report said the Philippines was overrun with Japanese political sples. Almost every barrio of the island had been infiltratecl by businessmen, sidewalk photographers, ancl bicycle salesmen. To corrr pound the matter, the report said that the "secret inflrrr-.rrccs ol llrrs:;i,r were busy prejudicing the Far East against the Unitetl Statcs".

Ouezon batted openly

for tlrc citizcrr arnry [)lan l() win ovt:r irn witlr lll tlrr: clo

increasing apathetic ancl cloubtful public. He plearlcrl quence he could muster and saicl:

"The purpose of the plan is to prevent war. lts obiect is peace withbattle. lts possibility of attainment is based upon an adequate de-

OUEZON

€,

o

o .9

E T' c

o lE

z

(E

]

ANECDOTES DURING WAR YEARS

415

fense establisfiment. This is to be of suctr strength as to impose a sort of conquest upon a potential invader as would exclude any hope he might logically entertain of political or economic advantage to be gained by victory' By thus removing any possibility of conquest representing an

economic shortcut, the chance of predatory attack would be lessened.,, Despite his eloquent plea, when the National Defense Act was enacted, the quota of the trainees were trii'nmed to one half and only six million dollars was appropriated by the lawmakeri. As the propagandists against the plan worked overtime, opposition grew and the united states did nothing. Ouezon visited Japan with MacArthur and the Filipino Chief Executive saw for himself conditions obtaining in the Land of the Cherry Blossoms.

Japan, except for a large labor force, suffered from acute shortages which hamstrung her production efforts. Unless she could hike produc-

tion, Japan faced economic chaos and acute unemployment which might trigger off a revolution. To make up for these shortages, Japan conquered Manchuria for its iron; Formosa for its sugar; china for its lrard coal and timber and Korea to bolster her security.

For her other needs, Japan eyed Malaya for nickle and minerals; Dutch East lndies for oil ancl rubber; Burma and Siam for rice and.cotton. ouezon could see that Japan would not hesitate to use even force to gain these badly-needed raw materials.

But because the Philippines .ffered nothing but strategic position, ouezon somehow hoped that liis country might be bypassed in the expansion scheme of the Japbnese. Passing by Mexico, where they were warmly welcomed, they continued on to the united states. ouezon virtually got the cold shoulder and MacArthur's request for supplies and equipment was iqnored. lnstead he got only some fast torpedo boats, the forerunner of the pr boats of

World War

ll.

Even as war clouds hovered ominously low over philippine skies, Quezon hoped that his country would be spared. MacArthur whose order were not to start hostilities with Japan felt the same way. When the war erupted engulfing the philippines, Ouezon and MacArthur were prepared to meet the crisis.

ln the midst of

a heavy bombardment

of Corregidor where

Mac-

Arthur and Ouezon retreated when the war turned against them, MacArthur watched in the open the unequal duel between the Japanese planes and Bock's dwindling batteries.

After the alert, MacArthur promptly ran thus:

received a letter which partly

: OUEZON

dear Gene ral MacArth ur: you have ever had and as writi ng th is letter as the best f rienC u nderstand the spi rit you t of the Ph il tppl nes, and h ope

it ts written

great danger to wh ich you exfrom d pe rsQnal wt tness the haste n to remi nd you that rs afte rnoon rse tf duri ng the rai d th you people, as WC il as my peop le, it to v ou gove rnment, and to n to you the effect

ng shoul d happe no unnecessary rt sks f somethi population would be to say the an iti civ the armed forces and

demoralizing. DevotedlY Yours,

MANUEL L. OUEZON

hffit[r#Hutt*,'}k'#fi[ffi Tr;".':,"J ;;#':;J ;T-:1 3 ;,T,i'ilT

G

od

o n,

v

kn

ows

i

*h

i

s

i

s

[**,u{*ll{#*'ffi',ffi

$fi**s[**rutfim J'::.:;::'ii;,i]11'l'jH:T:il:'il:L'J;,'ourderenseprepara

[*fi*t*m*t***rrm

ANECDOTES DURING WAR YEARS

82.

417

General MacArthur and president Quezon warmly greeting each other in Mariquina, attet giving instructions to Laurel and

Vargds, December

20,

19A1.

OUEZON th e reinforcements. the ea rl v arrival of answered p rom rsln ate the R ock for acu EV to is fami ly was asked h with zon Then Oue beh tnd. M acA rth ur staYed ou t a sig net ng he a1ine, Ouezon slipPed subm n llcfore leaving M acArthu ayi ng; wore and gave it to ou fought for want them to k ow ,,Wh en theY fi nd your bodY

alive' On August 2' NilacArthur saw Ouezon time last the was That died at Lake Saranac' 18'19 August 5, 1967' PP' From MIRBOB MAG AZiNE,

A PERFECT UNION

1,02

Ph ip pi nes is h anging

of th hour when the fate at thei IN T H S su preme bl esse d n hav ing are ds an isl these of p eople the bal ance L. Ouezon and P resident Ma nuel on AS is foun d tn

perfect unl Douglas M acArthu h as stood the test p ti ke thei cou rage friendshi tr the F ish ters both, il the lr d ete rpe il ln thei a common ng faci ay tod d the right Years an n the triu mph of P rovl dence an d thei faith tn Div rne

such

ale as one victorY to com e, theY years ago thousand o Almost tw 'ate days these dark and desPer

F or us, the Star of B ethlehem' the Star o{ H ope.

27,1941 FREE PRESS' December From The PHILIPPINES

ll.os

MacARTHU ANECDOTES ABOUT uvilntrulrtvo c' MILAN

R

rn eigrh ty on T u esdaY M acArthur wl il tu lore TheY to add to th e Nll acArthu R azon. 26. Here ate some anecdotes Jose Col es and L,t. Ge n. Basil io ald the from ing com told to me by Mai or he lp was ident that no ml litary table avai When it became ev make to N avy asked the U .s. is States, Gene ral M acArthu of h ts fam ilv and h members Ouezon, t den resl P take subm arine to net to the Visayas Pres;ident Ouezon departure from Corregido h ere is The day before h ls 'Gene ral, the si tuation and told hi MacArthu fo G eneral your wife and your son ,t don you le me take ing dange rous. whv ?, tne to a place of safetY U G LAS G EN E R A L DO

ANECDOTES DURING WAR YEARS

419

General MacArthur replied tersely: "Mr. President, my wife married a soldier. She should know how to suffer like a soldier." Quezon retorted: ,'At least, let me take your son with me!" Without blinking, I\ilacArthur replied, "My son is the son of a soldier. He must learn how to die like a

soldier." On the afternoon of December 28, 1941, when the Japs bombarded Corregidor for the first time, General I/lacArthur was at his office on the ground floor of the Topside Barracks. As the first bomb hit the building. officers and enlisted men took cover. General MacArthur remained seated at his desk. Apparently he did not know that his faithful orderly, a Philippine Scouts sergeant, was standing behind him. When the bombing became terrific, the sergeant took off his steel helmet and held it above General MacArthur's head. The general did not know what the sergeant was doing because he was deeply absorbed in his writing. Suddenly a small piece of shrapnel hit the steel helmet, ricocheted and wounded the sergeant's middle finger. The noise caused by the flying shrapnel caused MacArthur to look up. He saw his loyal orderly wounded but still holding the helmet over his head. The general thanked his ser' geant for his courage and continued working despite the bombing.

ln Corregidor, General MacArthur took his meals in the Malinta Tunnel Hospital. Every morning, after breakfast, General lVlacArthur would personally push President Ouezon's wheelchair to the northwestern entrance of the tunnel and there, pulling up a chair for himself, would engage the President in a 15-minute conversation. After the brief exchange of views, MacArthur would again push Ouezon's wheelchair back to his quarters. ln these intimate talks, Quezon always addressed Mac' Arthur as "Douglas" and the latter always addressed him as "Mr. President". One Sunday morning (January 12, 1942l, Major Gen. Basilio J. Valdes and Lt. Carlos P. Romulo went to bathe at President Ouezon cottage outside [Vlalinta Tunnel. An air rald alarm was sounded. Gen. Valdes quickly put on his clothes and proceeded to the front door of the cottage and found to his,surprise Gen. MacArthur standing just beside it. The general spoke first, "Hello, Basilio. I didn't know you were in there!" MacArthur and Valdes stood close to the stairway and looked up as nine Jap planes dropped their lethal cargo around l\4alinta Tunnel. Gen. Valdes asked [/lacArthur. "Gener.al, don't you think you are takirrg too many chances?" With his usual coolhearlr:tlltcss, [\,4lrr:Arthttr answert:rl: "[)ort't worry. A bullet or a sl-rell will ncvr:r hit yotr ttttlcss it t;artics your rtatttc'!"

From The PHILIPPINES FREE PRESS, January 23. 196O, p.31

OUEZON

I

"No-T^ENTIRELY MLo's ILLNESS wAs MoRAL"

PHYSIcAL":

"liiA;'-cotttstorRABLY

VALDES by Gen. BASILtO J'

! ,,fng*nU Basilio J' Valdes' J ffi ;x ;. h 1; i: a: ii "

:; ;1,

personal physician a close friend and

[[

:

H, I ; 1il ;::

: J;

]

fl :'.'"'[i:

i'ua been discovered earrier

I'lll;.?',t :lJi;Iilffi;io,i, ouezon's wartime J";;;;:r. *no *u' autensu secretarv in President ;:"1'l'::l':r;[

lff ;'"',:.lJ,H;:;;1*1rr;::::',';:'?'t':'fi

ffi +r***ll*':,*',:*$*:f**it*

ffi*** hfi$fit****m l-t"lI;,0.,

during his lifetime exerted said'that President ouezon

ffi$#flfi:r'-*:f'3bl*til, lconcerted efforts"'

every

'

ANECDOTES DUHING WAR YEABS

42.1

"lf he were still alive today". Valdes added,,,l am positive thatwith his well-known eloquence, he would stir all of us to continue supporting the Philippine Tuberculosis society in its fight against this dreaded disease.,, ln his speech which covered hitherto unpublished incicrents in the life of the late leader Valdes brought out certain incidents which made ouezon outstanding not only as a leader who had fought his battles, including his illness, with courage, but also as a human being who,,treated his enemies with kindness and loved his friends as no one coulC,,. Regarding the political fight which resurted in a further deterioration in Ouezon's health, Valdes recalled: "The President showed us a draft of a retter to the president of the

United states asking him to submit to congress a request that a resolution be passed declaring the constitution of the philippines non-operating during the war to enable the President to continue in office. The draft had been prepared by Judge Sam Rosenman, one of president Boosevelt,s legal advisers. Vice President osmeha rcad the letter and informed the President that he would not sign it. Then the presiclent, addressing Secretary Hernandez, said. 'Mr. Hernandez, as auditor general of the philippines, I cannot oust you even if you should give an opinion contrary to my point of vierv. will you kindly tell us what you think of this letter?. secretary Hernandez read the letter and then said.'Mr. president, in fairness to the members of your cabinet, I suggest that you give us 24 hours to study the phraseology and make corrections that we may believe necessary'. That reply exasperated the presiclent, who immediately adjourned the meeting.. .. That night lwas called to his bedside as his fever rose very high.

"The following day, Vice president Osmefia called me and asked me to go to his office. I found Secretary Hernandez already there. Vice President osmeffa showed us the draft of another letter which he and senator Tydings had prepared, containing practically the same points as those contained in the letter the previous day. we all signed the letter and this was rushed to the shoreham hotel where pres. ouezon was. The rest is history. congress passed the resolution which was approved by President Roosevelt on November 12, ig43, and president ouezon con-

tinued as President of the Commonwealth.,,

From the MANILA

DAILY BULLETIN. Friday, August 21,1gSA,p

11i

2

OUEZON

GLORY OUEZON'S CROWNING

x

bY BASILIO J' VALDES

loyalty M an uel L. Ouezon defended the al des declared tn J o Basil neral Ge M aio men he left beh ind du tng th weekly ring, August 1 over KZF M Thu rsday even Depa rtmen' t of F o re ign A ffairs. F or under the ausPices of the meeti ngs of Preside nt Ou ezon ti me the pu bli c le arned of the last to Ge neral ome ln Mar iquina. Accordi ng cabi net tn the Oue zon h member net N ati onal Defe nse eve ry cabi who was th en SecretarY of to Corregidor An d foremost among to go with Presi dent Ouezon then ha tred for the J apanese was the men who spoke out h is Mr Ouezon told President of Justice Jose P La urel who m ounth to go ing dor, am if cannot go with you to Corregi to figh t n the Japanese the lenge chal of Batangas and from th ere me mber 'al des recall ed, every ca binet Th ts atti tude, Gener V al and Gu into adoPted ng Secreta ry Alun an, Sison Ouezon', s ca ree r came whe n ln the ident The crowni ng glory of Pres Na tions the Decl aration of the U nited of the Phi lippines, he signed ppr nes was ti Ph ize d that the 942 an act which tacitl v recogn 1 4 General on n ati free and indepen dent as consi dered by th at body re me mwas on that occaslon P resident recal led how excited th an d h ls me told th at hi sto flc occasion' H very wel his retu rn from an lnas pi nes ip t was treating the Phi rage that Presi dent Boosevel Ch arte ns Nati the U ni ted t nation and had asked h im to sign bare hi th WI th e x'tent of h itting the ta ble TH E LAST

P resident

I

ncore h IS

point

h

went to

at he asked

was he th igor So excited and el ated ,DO ou real ze what this means to u ;! v times, ce of the late President xte ns ton of the tenu re of offi the R egarding ng the me mwas the general bel ief amo Gene ral aldes sal d th at it ppi nes di d not the ritu ati on tn the Phi of the e xl le gove rnme n't that that ti me at change of e adersh ip change of leadersh ip that requested mor ale of the people The cabinet td have underm ned the to susdes al acco rd in s to Gener al President of the U nite d S tates, war the of nce Law for the duration the p rovlsl on5 of the ndepende the of cs il sti ou tstandi ng characte aldes pot nted ou t as an Gener 'al man u h AS H e wh o needed h is help. President, h ls k ndness to those rreof wl nn ln s people to h ts ide way a and th rough and he h ad wrn to abl was h the reaso n why of thei op ni ons. And th at rs

th

U nusu al

r those who fought

him'"

August21' 1948' From THE MANILATIMES'

ANECDOTES DURING WAR

YEARS

423

TNTIMATE INCIDENTS IN OUEZON'S WAR YEARS

'3.06

by Generat BASILtO J. VALDES, p.A.

PRESIDENT Manuel L. Ouezon was obsessed by what he believed was his right to remain President of the Commonwealth even after the eight Consecutive years allowed him by the Philippine Constitution and was exasperated by opposition, General Basilio Valdes, intimate friend and physician, recalled in a talk as guest of honor of the US Historians Club in a celebration Tuesday {August 19) of Ouezon's 80th birthday Anniversary. General Valdes, who was with President Ouezon throughout the war until the latter's death, talked intimately of the crises in the sickness of the late President, his flight from Manila to Washington. D.C., and political thoughts and activities. "The idea of his right to remain in power became an obsession,,, General Valdes stated. "He felt that he was taken to the United States to continue the resistance of the Philippines against the Japanese and believed that he should be allowed to continue as a symbol of resistance. So, one afternoon, the President convened his cabinet to a meeting. He was sick and presided from his bed. Vice-President Osmefia was sitting at one side

of the bed and I

was seated at the other side, while Finance Secretary Hernandez and Commissioner Elizalde were near the foot of the bed. The President showed us a draft of a letter to the President of the United States asking him to submit to Congress a request that a resolution be passed declaring the Constitution of the Philippines non-operating during the war to enable the President to continue in office."

According to General Valdes, Vice-President Osmefia re{used to sign the letter, while Secretary Hernandez, whose opinion President Ouezon then requested. asked for 24 hours to study it. "That reply exasperated the President", Valdes continued. ,,He immediately adjciurned the meeting. Then, in an angry mood,.he addressed me, "General, tell Aurora to pack up. We are leaving Washington. I shall cease

to

be President".

The crisis was finally solved when Vice-presicJent Osmeffa himself.

with the

assistance of Senator Tydings, co-author of the lndependence Law, drafted another letter to the same effect and, having been signed by

the entire war cabinet, including President Ouezon, was sent to the U.S. Congress. This resulted in the passage of U.S. Congressional Joint Resolution No.93, which authorizecl President Ouezon to continue as chief executive for the duration of the war. General Valdes also described a scene in Corregidor in which Ouezon and Osmefia exchanged "harsh words" and a real break was avoided only through the mediation of Jose Abad Santos.

OUEZON ch P resl de nt Oue zon prG

wh of the quar rel was a cabl egram message the n t. Roosevel t en to send to Presid m to be forthco ng th e n o Ame n can he lp seemed

Cause

he proposed th at Ph il pp tnes shoul d

and th Japan ese an d decl ared u nderstood feared that the c ab wou td be

Am encan

ovacu ated by both the ral V ice -Pres ident o smen Wush ington as a dec tsl on

to wt th draw

rom Ame rca. h ad joi ned th we at th

su pport

forces of 'Osmefia asserted" V ald es sa id en d. th to nue conti to had ggle and we Un ited States n the stru M acGen th at d tate s ldes Va di squi eti ng' Irtg the Ouezon propos al 'ate Ph rpp ne st tu adesper the mate of lur accomp an te d it with an esti wl th or em phati c repl v sayi ng that, n n t se It ooseve R Pres ident ,d t of the an remn last the lve wou ld rout Phi ippi ne hel p, the U .s. ge h ls m nd an ch ete compl v f rom v ou so it Th is m ade Ouezon never again broached the idea August 21' 1958' From THE MANILA TIMES, Thursdav'

,07

p

7

COOPERATIOI{ OUEZON'S INSTRUCTIONS FOR bY SERGIO R' MISTICA

Health'Aide of MLO Lau re

wa5 ongl nal

Dr J ose A LTHO U GH the new Ch ief Justice h oweve on the ate Presid en Oue zon gl l( :lrcdu led to go to Cor re do lp S ec re ry h lrlt staY in Man a, an d he rd thou gh t, deci ded to let I ,s h n U m an ish ten the burden V argas, Ou ezon we -know n right lrrtle the peoPle. Ouezon e xpl ained co nques't and occu pati on for P

Jap anese

tng th e J apanese respected h tm hav fel t Lau re coul d be h el pfu as of on ghest tn sti tuti thus fa h onored by thei hi $rrr the only F il ipin honora ry 'oky o'r mpe n al U ntve rsity conferr tn9 o n h im an h nl tl ing, T he

llrx;to f

deg ree

at Mar q u n a

private residence ast cab net me etin g n h Ouezon tn structed h ls cabinet, tizens lead ln cl lllorrded by a nu m be of rate wl th the gove rnment pe rson ne l, to coope lll(l th rough it the enti re respective posts pe op le n th and remalln at the se rvtce of the the othe m and asked hi m what h and (itr I cf Justice Laurel nte rrupte d hi ppo r if theY were to td by the Japan ese to su lrttt al nl ng offi c ials would do mean p ropagand a by gove rn m ent, incl udi ng the u se of lhu tn n the task of racte nstic of h ts ke e ch a was arti c es. Ouezon's Ol speeches and newspape ou h av mt nd H e said eve n ts and real isti c be nt of f fnrcePti on of uture the m oun obey the Ja panese or run to hrt tvvo al ternatives Y ou either if v ou wr sh to rU n to the mountain even ur n B ut h ow can You al ou wi people whe n theY need yo u m ost. otl must not aband on our

At the

ANECDOTES DURING WAR YEARS

y

n

d

g

f

y

a,

, e

s.

er

rt

ns

en

ve

n-

o? il

&?.

The council ,of state meeting under the mango tree at the Mari

9y91on home, fo[owi1e

$i

Field, etc. on Decernber g; 1941.

Japanese

Uorniins

"r

a;grio,--d

t: OUEZON

ft

r,,,operate. What else can yor-r do? After all' they

lltrthoritv in the occupied territory' Ii'W,,tt", Laurel remarked, "We will do as you

will

be the consti'

suggest and follow

IH::x;l';i:';::'J,1,,TT"n::J;',I;:';"#il1';J:: J,H:,,'entertain

such fears. Forset

that", ouezon repried

gooci

J:;ll

that be the attitude of the American miritary authorities?,.

f"Ulll

?ii'rl .ru

Io,rr.r,

General MacArthur", replied Quezon' rhen' turnins Vargas, he instructed; "George, please go and see General

ffilTIn nu,o, o,,'u fJ:ffi "il;:::.ffi-' ;: 1..:' i::,H;:u:iT and personnel may cooperate with

that government officials [1,,unor. on on. condition: that they must never take any oath of MacArthur' they will be [i,,,u ,o Japan, for if they do said General

!}rrt Ilt

traitors uPon his return.

gentlemen, you have just heard what General MacArthur ]. Or..on finally remarked. That settled the point and the historic was lintr uOjorrned, the members never to meet again altogether'forlt Cor' leave party soon would his and fi,iooO-that the President Greater Manila' Last El unO that Vargas would be name'd Mayor ofthe remaining cabinet were that Ouezon instructions of President

J-"No*.

[to

Adrninistration' a $lx'rs should continue with the Civilian Emergency because it had J;lpanese by the S which he expected to be respected war-affected in needed much as fnr,rr. of a general relief organization hns the Red Cross. From SERGIO R. MISTICA, op.

cit', pp 92-93

BIRTH OF THE UNDEBGROUND MOVEMENT

,

OR about .December 18, 194't President Ouezon's country ng of the Phl li p' tn Ma nqu tn a, R izal was the scene of the last meeti Excel le ncy net which then acted as the Cou ncil of War of His the in' play with ball instructed each member of his cabinet to neve and al ism, to save the Fi ipin o peopl e from atrocrities and vand governof re tns e Gene ral Ri carte or Ramos a chance to take th

K Abad Presiden t Ouezon instructed Patri c io Di onlsl o, Antoni o

to conve'rt all labor and patriotic organizations, like the "Tang' into guerrilla units and proceed with underground movements and the Japanese. As a proof, the President entrusted to Dionisio

ANECDOTES DURING WAR

YEABS

427

Abad several pictures depicting the historicar meetings herd in Mariquina with General Dougras MacArthur and other American Army officers. and chief Justice Laurer, Justice Abad santos, secretary Vargas, president Boxas, Department Secretaries Recto, Guinto, Alunan, yulo, etc, _ SERGIO R, MISTICA, op. cit., p. 108.

13.09

BABY OUEZON CONTRIBUTES TO THE WAR EFFORT

lN THE afternoon of the lSth of January, 1942, iust after the Japanfinished releasing their death-dealing bombs over corregidor, Maria Aurora ouezon, the president's erdest chird, approached her iattrer ese bombers

and asked permission to join General Basilio Vardes in a trip to the battre lines of Bataan. "l wourd like to see how our brave boys aie faring,,, she reasoned. ."And, besides", she eontinued, ,,1

wish

we sent over reached their proper.destination.,,

to know if thi

gifts

The President stared at his daughter, without any sign of surprise or

discomf iture. He merely courd not say "yes" or ',no,,. Ra*rer he exprained

that in matters like this, "it is absolutery necessary that General MacArthur give his consent", and promised "that Iil see him about it as soon as

possible."

After "Baby" left, the president, in a soft voice, said, ,,it is a pity that my eldest is not a boy. lf she were, and I were stronger than I am, the two of us courd have gone together to Bataan and r shail once more

feel the atmosphere of a man activery in war. That wourd show him, too, that his father was reaily a veteran." sERGro R. MrsilcA, op. cit., pp.109-110.

13.10

CHOOSING HIS SUCCESSOR

'

by SERGIO B. MISTICA Health Aide of MLO

THE BATTLE of Bataan was fought and rost, and the fail of corregidor was imminent. on the advice of Generar MacArthur, president Quezon and party left corregidor on the rgth day of Februtary, 1g42, We stopped at the hacienda of the Aranetas in Buenos Aires, Occidental Negros. since leaving corregidor, the president had been busy thinking of the fate awaiting the country that he was leaving behind. For, he was bound for Australia and thence to the united states, and he was confronted with the grave problem of choosing the man who could lead the nation in such a crisis. At last, he finally decided that the chief Justice

OUEZON

lr

':4r'i.,a;

' MLO Mac-

ANECDOTES DURING WAR YEARS

429

of the Supreme Court, next to the Vice-President (whom he was taking along with him) was the most logical choice. It was about 8;00 or 9:00 o'clock in the morning and the members party were airing themselves at the verandah of the spacious counthe of of the Aranetas. Without any hint as yet as to the decision of the home 1ry President, Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos came bustling into the house. "Hello, Joel Where's the money?" the President greeted the Chief Justice in a matter-of-fact way.

"l

gave

Soriano gave

it to Soriano

it to

(D. Andres) and Osmeii'a knows about

it

.

an American officer", was the reply.

"Suppose the money is misplaced, who would be held responsibleT Careful, Joe!" the President wamed. At this point, the two were interrupted by a telephone call from Bacolod. President Ouezon immediately answered the same. The atmosphere was tense, as everybody watched every change of expression on the President everytime he talked into the mouth-piece or made an effort to get all that was said from the other end of the line. The conversation finished, the President, in his most serious mien slowly returned to the group, and once more an ominous silence pervaded the entire room. Only the thud of the President's steps could be heard as he approached the anxiously waiting group. As a bolt of thunder rocking the eardrums, the President's soft but and sad voice broke the suspense. With all solemnity and calmness as dry greatest lover of his country, who was soon to depart in involunthe only tary exile could act in a most natural and unpretentious way, President Ouezon at last was forced to say what he most dreaded to express - "We are leaving for Australia very soon!" Turning his seemingly lifeless gaze to Jose Abad Santos, he revealed, "Joe, I have decided to leave the reins of government to you. lt is, therefore, your first difficult task to select men of calibre to help you. You do not need exceptionally brilliant men to run it. What you need in this hour of trial are men ofcharacter. We have Roxas, Laurel, Yulg, Hecto, Vargas, Guinto, Sison, and Alunan. All of them, I am sure, will play the game, and to advantage. You must, however, take the greatest of carel The Japanese are a treacherous people. I have absolute confidence in all of you. I know you can and will protect our people. I can not see that our country will ever be betrayed."

From SERGIO R. MISTICA, op. cit., pp. 103-105

OUEZON lll

It.

The two from the

my last back to

President ManUeI L. Quezon'

ANECDOTES DURING WAR YEARS

13.1'.|

431

THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT: FROM MANILA TO WASHINGTON by The Philippines (A magazine founded by Pres. Ouezon in Washington.)

"ONE OF the most epic series of desperate adventures ever undergone by a nation's civilian leader in the history of war.,,That was the description aptly given by General Douglas MacArthur of the perilous journey made by President Manuel L. Ouezon from Japanese-beseiged Manila to Washington, via Corregidor, the Visayan lslands, Mindanao and Australia.

"We travelled on the sea, under the

sea and over

the

sea,., pres-

ident ouezon once summarized. Again and again there was imminent danger in running the Japanese blockade. The president, who was strongly reluctant to leave Manila, bore the grave responsibility of his family and his staff. This, coupled with the poor state of his health at the time, increased the hardships of the trip. only his iron will to live to see the day of the redemption of the Philippines enabled him to reach washington to continue the fight for the liberation of his country. At the outbreak of the Pacific war president ouezon was in Baguio recuperating from a recurrence of an old illness. At 8:00 a.m., December B, 1941 , Japanese bombs were dropping on the Unlted States Army Camp John Hay, only a half mlle from the President's residence. He immediately moiored the 160 miles to Manila to take charge of the Filipino resistance against the Japanese - a resistance which is still going on. ln suburban Mariquina President ouezon presided at meetings of his cabinet two or three times every 24-hour day and was in constant communication with MacArthur. The commonwealth Government was doing everything possible to help the army of Filipinos and Americans under General MacArthu r.

HARD DECISION

After the Japanese had succeeded in randing at severar praces in Northern Luzon, and when it became evident that they courd not be stopped from closing in on Manila, MacArthur and the president discussed the question of declaring Manila an open city. MacArthur told the president that he was transferring his headquarters to corregidor and wanted the chief Executive to go with him. He insisterJ that it was his duty to

prevent the President's capture by the Japanese and he could only do that by having him in corregidor. President ouezon objected. He thought it was his duty to remain with-the civilian population. He even advanced a counter proposal - to leave Manila and go to some unoccupied province.

*:* OUEZON

ffblnet,

f

MacArthur's sugdecision' endorsed however. bY unilnimous mem be rs

',,n,

sl:iIqf

hi

.wan

::i.::,i:%Jr'i: t, :

,.'.T::l ^ll:l.::

i'li''*'il?-i-'T'llll;nt

:';*;;

Y:: I

;!!.}

'l *r' *y* JLl"ji'ff ::

ouezon

*u:

l:Y''o

bv Generar

Mac.

Fil:?:ff *til',ilffi ilil*l:l*n:,i:'tF:Jlxiiii;Ti:

['JlT'#',i"",:1i:::y*];iil*:ll',r;.:,Tl[l'l$;'#,

fu*y,ffi*f$ffi +iil,*t,,l:lffi h*il* f;;;;';;.n I

illfl

::

]#il is ;:t:

unoccupied areas' the incomins reports from

tNAucuBATloN AT coRREGIDoR Vice Pres' President Ouezon and

30' 1941, On Rizal DaY, December term. The simPle second their mt Osmefia began

witnessed hlcs on Corregidor were

bY

the United States High

Com'

his familY, Army officers General MacArthur and familY , his and hrloner to reiterating his inauguration address

The President devoted that his peoPle United Nations victorY, Promising eventual in foith I encouraging the States until the end and tuld fight with the United of NiPPonese fury. hpinot in their defiance from Pres' Ouezon declined an invitation

h

nurses.

That same daY President

At that

time

he;

come to and then lnt Franklin D..RoosevelttriPtofrom the PhiliPPines to Australia still pld have easilY made the were Java and a surface craft-- as SingaPore area' that of I the United States on control not in

Washington'

planes and shiPs were folrting and JaPanese Bataan and Corregidor to do' The heroic stands at )ut tre still had much

n"

:[

food' Gen' sufficient [:::H: o"'n without,1"#::;;'i iuJ l'":::,:i": t#;;; :t: i:':l; ;:' *x' ;';'T i ffi ttr ?l":;:il x ":

re of weeks For ilnre acute.

il

ff

I

m idd

rii*lff

F

ebru arv

ANECDOTES DURING WAR YEARS

433

unoccupied provinc€ to organize some plan of bringing in food for the soldier at Bataan and Corregidor and to keep up the morale of the civilian population.

ln

with this decision and with the approval of president Roosevelt, President Ouezon's party prepared to leave for the Visayan lslands. At dusk on February 20, an American submarine slipped accordance

through mine fields and anchored at Corregidor. ln secrecy the Quezon party boarded the submarine, which- immediately groped its way through the mined waters around Corregidor into the open sea. When dawn came, however, the submarine had to dive again. The submarine's interior became intolerably hot. To president Ouezon this part.of his odyssey was the most uncomfortable. He turned down impatiently any suggestion to continue the trip to Hawaii or Australia. Rather than stay an hour longer in a submerged submarine, he preferred to face the Japanese.

SUBMABINE TRIP ENDED

At dawn on February 22, after 30-odd hours in the submarine, the Ouezon party was at San Jose in Panay. From here president Ouezon proceeded to lloilo and conferred with local officials, including the provincial boards of lloilo and Capiz, discussing with them plans for supplying Corregidor and continuing with the resistance against the Japanese as long as possible. Two days later they moved from lloilo to Negros Occidental. Meantime, attempts were made to send ships loaded with much needed food to the harried men of Bataan. but only one ship got through, the rest being sunk by the Japanese.

Vice President Osmeffa and Major General Valdes then went to look cebu over as a possible site for the Government. The appearance of an enemy cruiser summarily ended the project and the two officials returned to Negros. on their .return it was decided that the seat of the Government should be transferred to Mindanao and, in order to find the best possible location, Colonel Soriano was sent to Mindanao with a letter to Maj. Gen. William F. Sharp, in command of the Visayan-Mindanao Force.

When Colonel Soriano came back, he had a letter from General MacArthur whom he had seen in Mindanao. The letter informed president Ouezon that by order of President Roosevelt, he, the General, was going to Australia and from there to direct the forces that would reconquer the Philippines. He told him also that on a certain day or two or three PT boats would come and get President Ouezon in Negros. The President read the letter through once and, in characteristic fashion, made his decision

on the spot.

OUEZON

Itlr,, hazards rla

I

r

**

apparent from the ot the proposed trip |u"u*:

r{i','.,*** m

very

***M,}.o[t

H$.lirffiffiJ}llH"** trre

uoats'

ltor

B,LKELEY APPEAR'

Ftll*[***t*'ffim+ X':"J.illI-o**,

I;:::.:llffilff go", said he' ftr.

rook atthe and save one rons to was verY much surPrised

"l'tl

he he revealed that had a long [-ater in Washington in Negros, BulkeleY him he met When Brtt.t"y so Young' h.irn again in Australia, the naval hero had shaven' nt told WashingIilrl, but when he saw a boy", the P reside like iust looked "You know, he he added: "tf I had and half seriouslY Hal{ iokingtY near Bais' ll r:t rrresPondents' talking on the road

I

the night

we were

r lrim like ttiat on But the night, with those {oot on his boat' SPanish set have able as an old I w,rrlcln't looked as keen and he beard, flut and that biack lti

Slt

I

n

fe

a

rless

George ordered Ensign

lr:."

when BulkeleY It was 3: 15 in the morning under way, and get of the PT-41 to

soon

the

overloaded

hand' the PartY gripped HardY members of seaward. the wl-reelhouse' llltl'r t)oat was roaring Ouezon staYed in deck. President narrow the on Itll', the chartroom' Ouezon PraYed in

I tt', skiPPer

In,l

[\4rs.

PT BOAT INCIDENT

ffiN*

)r,

',1

ANECDOTES DURING WAR YEAF

435

Fifteen Navy men, armed to the teeth, leaped ashore as the boat out of the open cockpit. touched the pier, and President ouezon came it of any Japanese lurking He saw the men approach the village to clear there.

The President was tired but his eyes were full of fire. The Presjackets but no shirt, riding breeches but no boots, ident, wearing two light but no socks, stepped ashore, followed by slippers bedroom leather and the Ouezon children Ouezon. - Aurora, Zenaida, Manuel, Jr. - and Mrs. party. which watched the landing failed to The big crowd of the rest the pleased the military and naval fact which President, a their recognize keep his departure to Australia doing their best to were who authorities a secret.

President Ouezon spent March 19 in Jimenez and the next two days in Dansalan on the shore of Lake Lanao, 2000 feet above sea level. During

his stay in Mindanao he designated Brig. Gen' Manuel Roxas, who had President asked to be allowed to remain in the Philippines, to act for the in all the unoccuPied areas.

On the night of March 22, President Ouezon's party motored to Del Monte, a pineaOple plantation from which they could easily reach the air' field. There they waited four days for the appearance of three Flying Fortresses f rom Austral i a.

10 o'clock on the night of March 26 the Ouezon party motored to the airfield. The cars, lighted only by the moon, moved slowly.

At

ABOARD FLVING FORTRESS The Quezot.r party were helped into their places in the planes. The Flying Fortress rose into the air and the lights on the airfield were turned off. The President of the Philippines had seen the last of his native soil until the day of victorY. The planes arrived in northern Australia the next morning. Pres' ident Ouezon later said that he had never realized that continent was so near the Phillppines. The Ouezon party breakfasted irr Port Darwin. The eggo he had that morning were the best he had ever eaten, the President obse

rved.

The Flying Fortress resumed their trip to southern Australia, two of them reaching Alice Springs in the afternoon. The plane bearing Vice Pres' ident Osmefia and Majo Soriano was missing. President Ouezon refused to go on with the trip until they were found, so he spent the night in a small hotel in Alice Springs. The missing plane ran short of gas above the Australian Cesert. The pilot gror.rnded the plane to await rescue. The plane's radic failed to work. After somc tinkerirrg with it, the crew succeedcd the next morning in sending a flash before it went dead again. That afternoon a rescue plane

1

OUEZON

ffi*fim Jres.

do much more for

realized that he could I,d;* ouezon soon than in Melbourne' so he decided to accept Iooines in Washington states. His partv boarded BI":'#;;;';;;:i;r", of the uniteda one'time trans-paci{ic liner' C;::ffi;;; ;;;;i"'n transport' vovase was fil';;;;", alwavs within a half-mile' Thethetransport ship had to zigzas

J;'|J/e,iH;d';;;-'n"'ntt't' tire

arthoush

wav'

J

AT woRK rN wAsHTNGToN

Golden Gate; sighted San Francisco's of Cor' tunnel the see again when I entered

"Orre beautiful morning

h I never exPected to

I

his arrival in Washington.

trPon lor", President Ouezon said, was met by Oscar ChaPman, the lrr San Francisco President Ouezon ArmY and and rePresentatives of the hlnrrt SecretarY of the lnterior' the Roosevelt, of President Aboard a special train sent by order rY on MaY 13,1942' llilil t)arty arrived in Washington leader was greeted bY Franklin At the Union Station the Filipino Stimson, Secre' State Hull, Secretary of War fooscvelt, SecretarY of and Con:' SuPreme Court, Senators I ol lnterior lckes, Justices of the CommiE Governors General and High lllt tt!tr, and former PhiliPPine night the familY were invited to sPend President Ouezon and his

hr.

*'XlJt:.i:Tlv

rlass were raised

wn." the Philippine and American Avenue e[i'a'nn at 1617 Massachusetts tro Philippine co"on*t"urin Malacafran Palace Philipo'"tl*tt t'r.:ti',:-:T desk' J I'rosident of the

i

for the duratlon' l*,,,,, tranrferred to Washington

lho

i,

rl,

ANECDOTES DURING WAR YEARS

437

c o c o Et

E .E

= .g o (u

U' tr

.9

c

f

o g, .E

.> .E .E

.o

c c

(E

o N

q,

a

o

tr

po 0,

4 E" c !,

o E

Td sd OF o.

EG)

d>.6r

!, i= st @

OUEZON

L,at'cE

MURPHY'' wELcoME ADDRESS

I lrST O*a

arrived in the United YEAR ago, President Quezon' you your people in the of destinies the [, n.,O direct from this free soil and great' but manv been had trip dangers of the li""r. fn" in leaving undergone had "ivsical travails vou

$;;;t "",it"n

to the spiritual

k***rmf,ffi

people' defending and pro' Ituo r""ond was to remain close to your

hl:#,;H[''. *Tf,hrui,*ffi }'il, fufi5{il$fi+}:ffi{'rl',*",l'""; office' after vour ary in 1935 when you took the oath of lrf'-ii.

LJ[ilJ:'.:,:";

Fj,;:::t:t*:;::::.:Ti[*.::i"'][::iffi address' You spoke kindly in Manila, to your inspiring inaugural

,ftnre crowd gathered States, Mr' P-resident' You said the f,r obout the United the noblest un' of fulfillment in the stage -nation [-*.r" *,,".ssing the final people' another with dealing in l*l,rg erer attempted by any to by attested is performed how well this task has been

[i.,J';;o"O

in this fourteen million people go to America if,f,,rr'"n, which from httr hour."

t:rom PHILIPPINES, vol'

lll.

No' 5 (July

2l' tg43'

p' 5')

ANECDOTES DURING WAR YEARS

439

cD -: trO

Eo c

!!o (;€

Hs ED

-.

Eo (E--

=8 co bo

scr

1;lrr1r

ER 14 MLO'S PERSONALITY HER ANECDOTES A BOUT FIVE OUEZON TNCIDENTS

D1

bY JORGE BOCOBO

IT tS

man President emory of that s reat unfortu nate that the m no with the v ears Atth ough td be fadin s away

L Ouezon, shou

decades our country for three

as

he, less

fo has done as much th at those who h ave hi m. It ls thus proper s bei ng said about them his fe WI tnessed by so me tncridents of rts of h m sh oul d relate hea ln the to h m m ay be kept fresh gratitude of flowe tu the the ing rati de of anc:ient ame n' over nd n orde that the de nts f ive of such tncl

t

m ay not prevail

WI

record

n M Oue zon' s cabinet, of pu bl tc nstructi on o When was secreta ry been dism issed for ool p n ncipal who had ry tch enta elem rc publ was a h is school Hi s defense rl who was studY ing tn admini ski ssed a 3-yea old si He appe aled to the a fatherlY spirit. ln so done had th at he eti ng of the board. was p rese nt at the me and

board of appeals the case. w ith h is usual who h ad heard abou t P resident Ou ezon ile n a crt m na case wh n the prin cipl e th at dow laid he and vigor, ad m nl str ati ve on the contrary n an nnocence of on presumpti ls a nt, there is a pre' suppo rt the comPl at to proof some ts re once the th ts WAS necess ary n reasoned out that Ouezon M gu ilt of co ndu ct. The school sta ndard of off icial to maintai n the hi ghest service' was fired f rom the second in de pendn 922, when the occurred incident d secon Th e ngto n, D .C Th ch ief Ouezon was in W ashi M by eaded h on m rssl the mi sslon uncheon in honor of rs gave affai ar insul of reau the bu and other h ish congressmen general mem' were Ame rican SE nators, Ouezon nd one of the was sl tting near M table gentle' the at s al the latter fi nger bowl as d i stri buted of the mi ssl on When the iqu id and a sli ce ite wh contai ned some it that saw and it, at ,ked to ift loo le monade he sta rted perh aps th at th ts was a nking Thi calam' lcm on. the impending M Ouezon, aghast at (Shame' bowl to quench h is th irst ,W v an hugasan a, alang h v tone angry t b u ow n d sal ,.) T he su rpri sed fe llow sud den ly d ropPed bowl finger a at's th m an, as al m ost spi ll d. finge bowl wh ich

440

MLO'S

.

PERSONALITY

441

The third incident took prace in Tokyo. The independence mission. just referred to was passing through that city on the way to washington. A luncheon was given to entertain the mission in a club house. lwassitting near Mr. Ouezon, and opposite me sat a Japanese gentleman, who was ,'oisily inhaling and making guttural sounds as he took his soup. Mr. euezon observed to me: ,'Matakaw ito!,, (This is a glutton!).The man alluded to asked President Ouezon: "What did you say, Mr. Ouezon?,,Ouickly and with convincing enthusiasm, president ouezon replied: .,Thesoup isgood.,, The professor agreed: "yes, very good!" and resumed his gastronomic activity with greater joy. This is the fourth incident: when rwas appointed by Mr. ouezon as a secretary of public instruction, he told me that one of the purposes of my appointment was that the llocanos should be represented on his cabinet. But soon thereafter, a certain llocano legislator protested for the reason that I was not a genuine llocano, because although I was an llocano by blood, my ascendants had left the original llocano region, so.lwas

born and raised in Tarlac province. This lawmaker claimed that the ti.ue llocanos were those who had been born in the original llocano provinces, namely: llocos Norte. llocos sur, Abra and La Union. Mr. ouezon asked me: "What do you say about that, professor?,. I answered: ,,Mr. president, the true llocanos are those who have gone out of the original llocano region, because they were moved and inspired by the llocano pioneering spirit." Mr. Ouezon said, "You are right! I will tell him so.', The last incident took place in December 1g41. whire the Japanese planes were flying over the lVlanila area, bent on devastation. The cabinet, of which I was a member, held meetings under a mango tree in Mr. oue-

zon's lot in Mariquina. I vividly remember the last two meetings. At the first meeting, Vice-President osmefra raised the question as to what those cabinet members who were not being taken by Mr. ouezon with him to corregidor should do on the. arrival of the Japanese invaders at l\4anila.

President ouezon said: "Let us send Roxas (who was the liaison officer between the Philippine government and MacArthur) to consult General MacArthur." Aftei the meeting secretary Manuer Roxas saw MacArthur. The next day, when the last cabinet meeting was held, Roxas reported to the cabinet that according to MacArthur, under international law the commander of a victorious army had the right and power to compel the inhabitants of the invaded territory to serve in any government that might be set up by the triumphant army. Having hdard this report, Mr. Ouezon told us that if the Japanese army ordered us to organize a government to help the people, we should do so, but he added emphatically: ,,But you must never takc an oath of ailegiance to the Japanese Emperor, because if you do, when I come back I will shoot you!,, This was the last time I saw Mr. ouezon. This incident is also related by president ouezon in his

OUEZON the advice he gave where he refers to 29 Good F ight" Manila "That if they had to remaln tn of his cabinet who admin istration of cooperate tn the to ity nterests of the given an opportun in order that the it acc€pt should theY be safeguarded for property should the Japanese public order and resPect during offici als that the F ipino page

Emperor,

be reme mbered neve took an

to the Japanese oath of allegi ance to comPel them Japanese com mand the by pts the re WC re attem who led his

;ident Ouezo n, remind u of Pres this hum ble article who wrote wl th letters tn depende nce; for e struggl who set ln therir peacefu pri nciPle of socia iustice the conscience s fostered the se ns€ on the n at:ron governmenu and who ean cl and ust norms of Fil ipino m ind. and digni ty n the

1' 1952' P' MANILA TIMES' November

s

7

OUEZON FOOTNOTES ON bY

ROHALD LACSON f-assu red, blunt

and sel Ouezon, m PQtuous yet adored by THE impu lsive in ange anded, m de e xam pl e of the when the occasion ran ite-l ike as th stands pbr aided u men he FN COMP A R AB L

same

lt

leader

was

hi m gre at by association. men working around H made the a qualitY alternatelY h imself AS the eader, made h rm get con'fidence ln ng humo that co and speech There ls itsel tn expl osive with feeble su ccess' imitate the man may Others done. one Manuel L Ouezon. of the situ am asterful com mand his rough th OW of his h The story is tol d faux pas n one itnessing f rom guests given at banquet 0uezon saved the rica. t h appe ned Ame to was seated on ndePe ndence missions mr ssione r5 Ouezon rino iliP F the to ml 55l oner on the American officials al and a membe offici American finge r- bowls' right side of h ish sta rte d se rV ing di nner the wal ter of end the one Fi li pino ost T owards ith the h on conversati n flash n was ngaged Ou ezon

rom it. h indi iyan ini'

d nk appa rentl to ,,Pu lifted the finger' bowl fieta! face

zon blt-t rted aCross WhereuPon th

f

th

American's what comp re he ndi ng Ame rican, not asked n cha nge of voice

su prised

and tn such uttered so rapid ly

a su dde

443

MLO'S PERSONALITY

"l

beg your pardon,

Mr. Ouezon?" As'though nothing had

Ouezon gracefully continued conversation

with

happened,

hiq host.

With an appropriate day of remembrance looming this week with the approach of his birthday on August 19, we have asked men of different professions who had worked with Quezon to say what they miss most about him. The accounts of' their respective experiences with this dynamic personality are told in their own words. By Senator CLARO M. RECTO:

"That man never vacillated. He knew no superiors, but he also welcomed coun3el."

Ouezon pos5essed strong personal charm because of his intellectual capacity. Though he was explosive, hil was very tactful in his dealings

with his fellow-politicians. He was a "good fighter". He knew how to fight relentlessly, but he was also a good statesman. He won his political fights because he never misiudged any given situation. Because he acknowledged no intellectual superior, he did not suffer from an inferiority complex. He welcomed counsel from others, but the final decision was always his and he rendered it quickly, because he had a penetrating power of analysis added to a broad knowledge of human

affairs. He was possessed

of a natural talent that enabled him to discuss in' telligently matters not within his province or scope of training. He was not, for instance, an economist, but he could promptly pick the right side of the controversy in an argument between two economists. He was never confused or vacillating. He never was a good follower, but he had always been a great leader. By Judse

NATIVIDAD ALMEDA-LOPEZ:

"Ouezon may have been impetuous, but he was also tender and generous."

My husband was President Ouezon's bitterest political enemy in his home province. When my husband ran for governor of Tayabas, President Ouezon lost no time putting up his own candidate for the position. When my husband won that election, President Ouezon sent flowers to my husband's daughter's recital. He remembered to send a letter of condolence when a member of my husband's family died. Once, when he visited Tayabas during the incumbency of my husband, he passed by our house and called familiarly, addressing my husband by his first name.

OUEZON

t

li

:*"i*t i j

r*]fr

:* ['.t .,.: * il: one rrrc:^r.:;:";.1* past H" was waiting for br. lt *as already o^t'n would"'":}] eat' not ouezon it'.'turtt' '"'j^,* fir';#;; f t J::-! 'x!'i: time Fil l:;J' :,x;# t ffi : l' ;'.',:::'uxil rvr3r;canan' he had o' o"llinn'o';;;;''i1 spite in Io,'"..

:\

ffitr#u H.:;:**,,

re' with a strong' unusual president's patiotism was imbued

hn" !t.i.t'."

fn"

knew was

shall never'":ffiil;i,'unu" u'tt I ":t,:n::::,':ffi.",1$:lJili'i;Xll J,'.nli''rn1o't 'un or faith' o"o' Aurora *"ini'l'i,itroush the *u"':l-c:['il; mv eves: or the airins'":::il;; ""0 com'union ;";'; ilotv $il';; hearins Y*: t11l:' togttr'ut' tI,";J.v G o1""v big decision l'1ll'l;"" he took on the island J:r:';";;*' r.:.,-. - . ,j.".:i.I"l.;i.1 --^^^,auy, one such o'n:_":^X, ,,iis; p.rr,ups, brand pe o pr e o J, ;; i;' 1"' T I'J.fl :''"1"t l,::[:T oI, 1l y:::'jfi:f -. ;; " l" "lj'"ii; ll, an R,i " ot n a Ir v e n "i"o plan .,|'n

ou.,on r best

t

Sil

I

"

;;;- on a f"- "."-.':; l*iii"ir,., to ""::i": tLt ...^" t-stead of insisting of the'Phtti?:-'::':'' J ":o "t Y:i"'lt immediate neutralizationdecision he writes in hts momentous that IJ .*"T11]:,^1"-l ll'*rr. on her the ravages ur war' 9^ lt'-t:::''irr"ra""i *oosevelt) was big he t:''t#::;J;";;;; that I realized country of my. counl E;.;;;r' -' "frn"n iurarn of the defense r-.-.,t".:fl::::#;;;:isworetomv:elf place ^-r ano assume Ieh to "t.[",n" heroism or his own t'-":::il;; i *oura stand,bv -'^ J";J"'#o"' r'-"""0 ancestors that as long as''l::^'":;-;; mvset mvsetf.,'

I to thre God of 'n, to :n"._t^:':^:::::;; io ,nv propre and to good consequences the ot ",0 it is J;J ;n;rot"" o, ,n" war. But set to enoush *tore he died' f *" O,O no, livehislonslast thoushts were]::i'";lO"'n""t tor Ir".. i""* in"

MLO'S PERSONALITY

88.

445

The President, Doffa Aurora, and their children pray the rosary, hear Mass, and receive Holy Communion together "on tiie eve of every big decision he took".

OUEZON 440

iIiF

j:rij i:# ffi " -l: illt; :, !:l ffi:,'J'lJJ:",:11'"'"31:#,1;[Tl*::::ii'ffiH";l';i:X* : "six hundred miles!" But u' ni"*ri;;; ;t himself

hc

ed tr e atte

ask

lrco

lit

n

di ns

-:lri' 1T

up with iov heart could take' more than his bis

;r";;;;.t ly

Senator TOMAS CABILI

he was wrong' w'B fiery ,,He understood his foes, knew when

but very human"'

and

it

was the eve

of

the

in 1938' I was an assemblyman me to Malacafran' when ouezon called urr.rurv nation.r rucond you to continue as assembly' "l;;.;r, of tf't pu'ty have chose'n leaders The "Cabili! want Sultan Saramain *iir'lun unopposed'- but Iand rrran for Lanao' vorl incisive' *u'frank

It

was

nrrpointed governor'"

d;;";; *

Saramain was my posi ti

rrre

Oof

u'uul' was Ouezon's "bata"' iti"uf arch enemy-.and he

on,j *f ::::i";"j#m

ffli:T li"l;;;,"

l* t:;:';,:ff. L::,"i'l?.1 i';iI I

Lanao' but not saramain pounding his desk' "Why!!!" exploded Ouezon' province'" noiiai' to me and my

::iT:

"Because it

i'

:'H:i:'l;;,5:J:'"i'.n:*s tre

will

President' no ro,owins there' Mr'

and

governor"' be only a nominal '

there something I want! I want to establish

"Precisely! fnuf' uii't in their colonies'" like the British system enemy"' O''td"d: Saramain is my *t"it "But authority the President of the am I that t know "Damn itf f f r wanl PhiliPPines!"

"But I

""

"',t

'ou

am also assemblyman

my constit' for Lanao responsible for

o.:n::^:l

T: iiii:Iil; knitted"he bawled out "::1T"ilo, us alone in the.room' Ht **to his back towards '''I'"b"*s Pasig river' "You must know that'i';';;;;"sident!" uno looked out to the me on his high-backtd'*t"i'"nui' he stood up: "l am going to your ti"" fully silent for five **t"tl savins is tt'1'l are what vou see if Guinsona, the ahead Guingona' il;;;;; Ltnuo ht sent in ""n, n'''-u"i'ur A day u"to" that the President t''Ou'' Guingona to'a '' non-Chri"t* for Director rr

r

"

ouezo n

i:'ill',i'in my face:

t:'::l"a.J;:;IT:.rH:,'l$,:

Saramain was determin.o to,ppoint and appointe( daY next President came the preciselv that issue' on the elections

;;;;;;in

447

MLO,S PERSONALITY

Ouezon came down the gangway of the Don lsidro in the early to his right side, He put morning where a large crowd awaited him. Adong! crowds. "Adong! the towards we walked Saramain on his left, and on and quickly put it had my sweater yelled valet. for his he Sweater", accidentally touched his nose. on him. While pul'ling the zipper UP, ,,I am sorry, Mr. President. Under quickly apologized, Embarrassed, touch of sarcasm: "That's all right, can breath he answered with his take some more.

.

At the plaza, ouezon began his speech. shaking fitfully an accusing which finger at the placards borne by Saramain's armed demonstrators, ,,we want saramain For Governor - saramain for Governor Facread: tion", he barked: "l want you to know that the governor represents the president of the Philippinesl There is no faction here for governor! The governor represents all the people in this province. lwill notappointany unless you are united in your demands!" Later in the day he m'ade inquiries abouta possible list of candidates, including Moncado, pairing them with Saramain as governor. Governor

lor.rnot in this province

Raval answered him repeatedly: "Cabili

..,

will win here against any com-

bination'" Afterwards in the crowds he called me aside, "Hoy Cabilil dito ka! O, contento ka na? Well, I have changed my mind. I am not going to appoint Saramain governor. Hoy, alis ka dian, baka sabihin niya mayroon tayong complot.,, He pushed me aside as saramain approached us. ouezon faced Saramain: "Sultan, I have changed my mind, I am not going to appoint you governor. But I will appoint you lieutonant-governor" (the interpreter translating) . Saramain made no answer. "What's your answer?" Ouezon demanded. Saramain remained quiet. Quezon turned to Raval: "Governor Raval, make him make up his mind to accept the position of lieutenant-governor." Then to Saramain: "lf you do not accept I authorize you to run for assemblyman against Cabili in a free zone."

.

' Sor"one else opposed me in the elections and I won by a landslide. That was ouezon, born to lead, an improviser who could correct himself and yet emerge the victor, autocratic but intensely human' From SUNDAY TIMES

MAGAZINE, August 14, 1955, pp. 10'12.

OUEZON

l,o3

OUEZON ANECDOTES ABOUT OUIRINO bY CARLOS

PEBSONALITY

MLO'S

449

Ouezon was taking a bath when the telephone call came' but wraproom to talk to ping a large towel around hini he walked to the drawing Filipinos' When of the friend bf,rra.r, who was a good and sympathetic furned red' furious' he became Ouezon heard Secretary Weeks' message but managed to suPpress his anger.

,,that

"TellsecretaryWeeksforme",hesaidslowty'measuringeveryword; if the President of the United States is not interested in Philippine all that I shall say to him is - 'l bring you the greetings of the

affairs,

president. Good dayl, But if the president is interested, determine the length of our conversation.,, Ouezon half an hour for the conference' granted Coolidge

i,,,r,no people, Mr. then it is up to him to

ouezonwasanexpertingainingfriendsandloyalfollowers.Soon

over the Hare-Hawes-cutting Act, after his sptit with osmeffa and Roxas

hetriedtowinoverthe|ateVicenteVera,politicalleaderofSorsogon. He had successfully Vera gave a skeptical ear to ouezon's blandishments. off Osmefia who had also been trying to get him as a follower' warded

He was a

stubborn man who cherished his political independence.

"Look here, chico", said Ouezon"'Your leading opponent for and he's an osmefi'a man' lf leadership in this region is Jose Surbito who, after all. is closely related ,ou no over to osmeffa, l,ll take Surbito you might as well join to my former secretary, Felipe Buencamino' So me,"

join ouezon in the politVera had no choice, no alternative, but to

icalsquabblethatrentasunderlocalpartiesandcausedare-alignment of forces.

DuringtheHare-Hawes'Cuttingcontroversy,Ouezononcevisited

thetownofTanawan,Batangas,thebailiwickofJoseP.Laurel,oneof plaza was the Osrox stalwarts. The crowd that gathered at the town fairlylarge,butdecided|ylukewarminitsreceptionoftheSenatePresapident. Just before he got on the platform, Ouezon saw a cross-eyed proaching the stand.

"HeY, putang ina mong duling", he greeted the newcomer' "What

are

you doing here?"

ouezonplacedhisarmaroundtheshouldersofthecross-eyedman

who smiled broadly in return. This touch of friendliness thawed out the

crowd, good-natured laughter rose, then cheers followed plause. Needless to add, the political meeting was a success'

by loud ap-

"Whowasth.atcross-eyedmanwhomyougreeted'Mr'President?" asked one

of his henchmen after the meeting'

"l'llbedamnediflknowhisname",repliedOuezon"'Thisisthe first time l've ever seen him in my life!" After he became President of the Commonwealth, Ouezon was more invitations from civic organizations' Once' while in I in

accepting

450

the United States, he was asked by an lrish patriotic society to speak New York City on St. Patrick's Day. Congressman O'Malley had the invitation which the Filipino leader had accepted. "But I thought you made it a point neverto accept such invitati protested one of his secretaries. "Yes", said Ouezon. "But I have a reason - do you remember it was Cardinal Gibbons, an lrishman, who fought vigorously the grant Philippine independence by the Congress of the United States?" i As a matter of fact, the late Cardinal had even an encyclical it inserted in the Congressional Record. Francis B. Harrison has the incident in his book on the Philippines.

"l'll make a speech", continued Ouezon, "but it'll be one of' shortest l've ever made; it won't take even tvvo lines in a The great majority of those who will hear it won't understand, but a will know what I really mean." Ouezon attended the meeting, and when called upon to speak these words: "On this day, I wish for lreland exactly what the lrish wished for the Filipinos!" Then he sat down, midst a thunderous appl for the lrish were then agitating for an independent Aire. But a few of old-time lrish leaders, who had successfully delayed Philippine indepen cnce many years ago and remembered it, were wryly silent over Oue remark.

One sometimes wonders what the public career of Elpidio Ouiri former chief executive, would have been like had not Ouezon lifted from obscurity by appointing him as one of his private secretaries. An cident almost cut

that

budding career short.

Ouezon had an elderly assistant who was more of a general uti man than a secretary. He pronounced English words with a Spanish accent, and became knolvn among his office associates as' writer" because that was the way he mispronounced the word "typ€' writer". But he knew the President's character and had learned to i ate himself with the Filipino leader. One day, while Ouezon was on a tour of the Bicol provinces. accom' panied by Elpidio and other secretaries. he felt indisposed and wanted a certain prescription filled by the local druggist. Ouezon gave the orderto this elderly assistant who hurried from the bedroom into the living room where he came across Elpidio, "Say, Elpidio", he ordered, "have this prescription filled right away at the nearest apothecary in town." "Why should l?" replied Ouirino, drawing himself up to his full height. "Because it's for the President." "No! Do your own errands!"

PERSONALITY

451

The assistant promptly reported to Ouezon with the words: ,,Look, president, your secretary Ouirino refuses to have this medical preon f illed out {or

you."

The Senate President flared up. His nostril began quivering - an ing sign of anger. With tbem in the bedroom was another secreassistant, Abdon Llorente, who had just graduated from College was still sporting a little mustache affected by the young bioods of

fiat day. "Llorente", thundered the Senate President, ,,Look for the first put 0uirino on it!" boat to Manila and But young Llorente, despite being new in the service, was fully with his master's fiery temper. He went to the pier, dawdled a couple of hours to let Ouezon's anger subside, then reported that were no ships available. "Did you go to the ship's agents?" asked Ouezon.

"No sir", admitted Llorente, then added with

a

smile: ,,There will be

the big political meeting where you will make a speech, presidente." Now, if there were two weaknesses in Ouezon,s character they were predilection for making public speeches and dancing with the fair ladies. dance after

a

is interest thus diverted, ouezon promptly forgot about the incident Ouirino. Meanwhile, Llorente briefed Elpidio on what had happened, and when ouezon called for the latter on the following day. ouirino had a ready answer for his behavior.

"Mr. President, l'm ready at all times to obey your orders,,, avowed dio. "But I don't want to be ordered around by subordinates.,, ouezon, himself a proud and sensitive man, accepted the explanation

as

satisfactory

:From HISTORICAL BULLET|N. Vot. Vt,

14.U

No.3, pp.239-243.

THE OUEZON LEGEND WITH THE YEARS

_ IT GROWS

by ADORACION G. OUtBtNO

MANUEL LUIS OUEZON, that colorful and fiery Filipino

leader,

was an individual who could capture the imagination of any man. lt has been a decade since he died but people are still talking about the Good Fighter. As a matter of fact, the Ouezon legend is growing with the years.

OUEZON

MLO'S PEBSONALITY

453

OUEZON THE TRAFFIC MAN leader was his versatility' One of the chief assets of the tempestuous notice' This anecmoment's a at any situation He could adapt himself to illustrates Ouezon's uncanny 0",t, i"i" by a Malaiafiang' newshound' Of course'some newspapers and column-

ability to do anything he wanted' which they termed "a political stant"' ists censured him for this feat cliche reads' It was All Saints' Day and all roads' as the worn-out intersection the was very heavy especiaily at led to the cemetery. Traffic presOuezon and his family were in the Avenue' of Blumentritt and Rizal way their inching buriar grounds. Ail cars were idential car bound for the near got stuck car snarl' Even presidential ol,nrr',, through the traffic

crossing' the Avenida Rizal-Blumentritt people when the president alighted from the of lmagine the surprise

hiscaran-dproceededtotheemptypolicetrafficstandwherehebegan of acting as traffic cop' and condirecting traffic. After several minutes back to his car and the members lrouun,i, easing traffic, Ouezon went del Norte' oi f,i, tu*if V were whisked to the Cementerio OUEZON'S PRIVATE SECRETARY TALKS of Quezon from 1930 to 1941' Dr' Jose A. de Jesus,privatesecretary narrated the foilowing stories: quick decisions he was the first Although Quezon was a maker of mordharm he knew that the same would work man to revoke them when times press several nud been attacked in the than good to tne couni'r' Ut if he wrong was at"i'ions but he was quick to admit he

for making n"rty

was so convinced.

when he was still senate presVery few people know that Ouezon' letter to his secretary' Dr' de Jesus' ident in January,'1934, dictated a instead of the transition period advocating immediate independence was

bill' The letter of 10 years as provided for in the Tydings'McDuffie

'

addressedtosenatorMillardTydings,co.authoroftheact. the chief executive was Before the letter was mailed' however' granting in the U'S' Congress opposed the apprised of the fact Jut phirippines. Moreover, ouezon was "n, of immediate independence to the read in the hall of the U'S' told by his operatives that if the letter were bill may not be passed' Congress, even the Tydings-McDuffie Otrtr was better than nothing at all' bill Realizing that thei - ftl 1934' 24' to bits' On [/]arclr zon compromised and tore his own letter legislature' American the T - tVl law w'as passed by the the far-reaching effects of Nobody knows what would have been late president revoked one of his Ouezon's letter to fyaing' had not the quick decisions.

.I

OUEZON

OUEZON AND DST th ls business about day lightwas the Good F ighter who rnl tiated months of the e xperiment, time or DST for short. But after two ng for DST revoked the exgcutive order provi di mo rning when Ouezon revocati on of the order happened one tabl e with his sheens. h it and grop ing his way n the dark vo rce cou td be heard all ove Mal acafthng. the presidential DST f th is can happen to me,

it

must be h appe nt ng to other

1[s previous order couple of hours later, the president revoked for daylight-saving time. AND THE HOME, August 19, 1954, PP 4-5'

14.05

STORIES PEOPLE TELL ABOUT OUEZON ComPiled bY FELIX B' BAUTISTA ON HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE

phone at the h ome tT W AS two o'clock in the morning when the

cutte rang, The volce Raymund o Perez, skipper of government functionary cal ing from other end of the rne was that of m ino t explai ned to a sleep-drugged Captain Perez that P resident yacht crulse And srnce the presidential h ad decided to go on to sail ready get bodt h ls dock, coul d Captai n Perez was n dry

iately?

ist who hated bei ng roused Captain Perez was a rugged ind ividual was therefore rabidly bed. The fact that he was an Osmenista and dragged h imself out he -Quezon didn't improve h ts temPe any But to arnve The Ouezon for waited bed and hurried to h ts sh ip. And he was thinking who Perez, n sl ipped by but sti il no Ouezon. Captai h rs warm bed, was almost apoplectic. he at eight a.m As he went up the gangplan k, Ouezon did arrive wel' to was waiti ng the captai n who, standing at stiff attention, Spanish He took one look at the captain's deci dedly

him arboard

"Are you a Filipino?" he asked. The captain stiffened even more in outrage' Mr. President", he said.

"Of

course'

I

am

a

MLO'S PERSONALITY

455

Quezon's face broke

you are lust as mwtizo as

into a smile. "Come now,,, he said, ,,admit I am." And quickly, he added, ,,Do you play

chess?"

"Yes, Mr. President."

"Let's go to your cabin and play", Ouezon said, and he took the skipper by the arm and led him aside. Henceforth, Captain Perez always spoke of euezon in glowing terms. he said, muy simpatico. He had felt Ouezon's irresistible charm, was, He and he had fallen victim

to it.

ON OUEZON AND THE COIVIMON I\,IAN

An stooped old woman, her clothes caked with the dust of travel, demanded admittance into the ouezon home on Roberts street in pasay. The guards wouldn't let her, but she was insistent. Quezon, who was busy conferring with poriticar mogurs on pressing state problems, heard the commotion at the gate and stood up to investigate. When the old woman saw him, she shouted, ,,Nonong, they will not let me come in". care

Ouezon recognized her then. She was the nurse who had taken of him when he was a boy in Baler. He rushed down, opened the

gates himself and clasped her

in an embrace.

As they walked into the house, the old woman kept fussing over him. "What have thdy done to you?" shq asked. "You are so ihin, you are working very hard. My baby musn't work too hard, it isn't good for him." "No, l'm not working very hard", he assured her. ,'Just to show you, I will take you out for a ride." And he left his nonplussed guests and the pressing affairs of state to take a thrilled old woman in his long, black limousine to see the sights of Manila, Nobody then or since has had a more distinguished personage for a guide.

,

ON BEMEMBERING LONG

Ouezon, like many an alumnus before him, liked to drop in every now and then on his alma mater just to relive the sights and sounds of a forgotten youth. So one day he called up the rector of the University of Santo Tomas and told him he would come by at two o'clock that afternoon. He came at about 1:30, so there was nobody there yet to greet him. Nobody, that is, except a grizzled old man who was then employed as a combination .receptiqnist-porter at the main entrance. The porter. upon seeing him, was all a-Evitter, and he took steps to notify the universify

authorities. But Ouezon restrained him.

OUEZON ,, lt was my faul t for comlng early he said. the m know you he said. hard at the porter he looked long and ye ars ago, tn Letran about fortY Danao, We we re togethe

,t

Don'

cal

How could so lm portant man porte flushed with pleasure ,ignificant as he? be anybodY as ins much tn his m ind remem .bothe the rector anymore" Ouezon was yet to come "Don't as wel l. two of US can make the rounds iust the corridors ked d porter the two wal arm tn arm, pre sident an

AND HIGH'JINKS ON SCHOOLBOY PRANKS h ts class tn

As

parti cu larly enioyed student n Letran, Ouezon anoth er boy named icente was rival H ls most consistent Commissioner distingui shed jur ist and (later to become

,t exl st. can prove th at you don Ouezon: told Vera de day o ne ,,So ?,, Ouezon was defin ite ly nte rested. ,ing' de Vera being or a possi ble be ou are either an impossible ,rlf you are an m possi ble being, then if fallaciouslY ,t exist yet, importantl possible bering, the n v ou don are ou f v exist. don't wl il exist rn the futu re Vera resounding hi s shoetoPs a nd gave de Ouezon hauled one from that sent him reeling cou ld sock you you he saLid wal ki ng away How

"l

didn't

sock

don't exist?" WANTS ON GETTING WHAT ONE Twice he had was getting discou raged T he same V icente de Vera hi m betwice i'i ts party had frustrated to run for the Senate, and o post' T soothe somebodY e lse fo the the bigwigs h ad wanted but the p romised a sl ot on the bench ruffled feeli ngs, he had been h ad not fn aterialized. President' Ouezon who was then Senate So he went to Ouezon pledged to do what he could, with a sympathetic ear and Lin o's farm over to Fel ipe Buen cam The verY next day he motored Dwigh t Davis amed then Governor-General, the Nueva Ecija where the was vacationi ng. After ,s m ost prized trophy) ,isdom tenn for of donor he coul d d o amenities, the Governor'General

him.

"l

asked Ouezon what

de Vera want you to appoint Vicente

a

iudge"' he

said

MLo's PERSONALTTY

457

"But I can't do that", Davis said. "Already many people have come to me for the same thing. But it is impossible. De Vera, lam told, cannot be a good judge since he knows only Spanish and hardly understands English."

Ouezon stood up. "You've said enough", he said coldly. ,,1,m leaving"'

"For heaven's sake, why?" just have been insulted", Ouezon said. "Do you think lwould recommend anybody unfit for the position?" And he left. Davis was puzzled.

"l

De Vera got the job the next day.

ON MAKING AMENDS

lf

Ouezon was quick to take offense at an insult, real or imaginary, to make amends for a slight he might have perpetrated. This trait was evidenced during his tenure as president of the philip-

he was just as eager

pine Commonwealth when a vacancy in the Supreme Court arose. Most logical man for the position was Pedro concepcion, then presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals. Quezon asked Don Pedro to come over to Mala. cafiang.

"l called you", he told the eminent jurist,,,because I want to point you to the Supreme Court.'But lwanted.to know first if you

apare

available."

Don Pedto bowed. "lf you want me, Mr. Presiclent,,, he said,,,l would be honored to serve." "That's settled then", Ouezon said. "But before you leave the Court of Appeals, I want you to take care of a case now in your docket involving a

nephew of Doffa Aurora (his wifu) and

-"

Don Pedro didn't wait for him to finish. "Good day, sir',, he said. stalking off. Upon reaching his office, he immediately wrote a letter of resignation. He could not, he said in effect, continue serving a government which thought so poorly of his !ntegrity that, for a prize as a seat in the Supreme Court, he would debase himself and disgrace the judiciary. Hurriedly, he dispatched his son to Malacafiang with instructions to deliver the letter to Ouezon himself. And he went home, all thoughts of .further government service gone. Within the hour, Ouezon was in Don Pedro's home. With him was Don Pedro's signed appointment to the highest court. "When you saw me this morning", he said, "did you notice the other men in the roomT Well, they were members of the Commission

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