Manuel Manahan
Encyclopedia
Manuel P. Manahan was a Filipino
statesman
, journalist
, businessman, and rural development
advocate. He was a key government official during the administration of President
Ramon Magsaysay
, best known for his stint as the head of the Presidential Complaints and Action Commission. Together with Raul Manglapus
, he co-founded the Progressive Party of the Philippines and served as its presidential candidate in 1957. He also served as Senator of the Philippines
from 1961 until 1967.
After finishing his studies, Manahan began a business career, most notably in soft drinks manufacturing. In 1933, he established the Philippine Standard Products Company. In 1937, he became a business apprentice for Heacock's.
During World War II
, he was imprisoned in Fort Santiago by Japanese forces after he was suspected of being in contact with the Philippine Army. He shared a crowded cell along with other prominent Filipinos such as Eulogio Rodriguez
, Colonel Jose Olivares, and Bienvenido de la Paz. He was eventually released four months later.
After his release, he went on to work for the Liberator, an underground newspaper. For this he was awarded the Legion of Honor.
In 1953, he was elected as the president of the Philippine News Service.
Due to his success in managing the PCAC, he was later appointed as commissioner of customs. In his new position, he successfully implemented significant reforms in the graft-prone agency. For this, the Philippine Free Press dubbed as the "Man of the Year" in 1955.
He also played a key role in the negotiations and surrender of Luis Taruc
, the leader of the communist group Hukbalahap
.
soon ascended to the presidential throne. With the presidential election
scheduled to be held in the same year, Magsaysay's death also triggered a chaotic political situation in the country, most notably with the ruling Nacionalista Party
.
Manahan, among other Nacionalistas closely associated with Magsaysay, were disappointed by the "cold treatment" given to them by allies of President Garcia and decided to leave the party. Soon, Manahan co-founded the Progressive Party of the Philippines together with Raul Manglapus. The new party aimed to be an alternative to the Nacionalista Party and the Liberal Party
. Manahan served as its candidate for the presidential election, with Vicente Araneta as his running mate.
Despite having less money compared to the candidates of the two major parties, he was able to rally significant support among the masses with his popular appeal and his resemblance, both physically and ideologically, to the late President Magsaysay.
On September 7, 1957, Manahan survived an assassination attempt while campaigning in Opon
, Cebu
. Andronico Baguio, the would-be assassin, attempted to kill Manahan with a 7-inch knife. However, he was quickly apprehended by Manahan's bodyguards. Manahan eventually asked the police to release Baguio as soon as they confiscated his knife.
Manahan lost to Garcia in the presidential election, managing to rank in 3rd place with 20.90 percent of the vote. Araneta, his runningmate, lost to Diosdado Macapagal
of the Liberal Party.
, the Progressive Party collaborated with defectors from the Nacionalista and Liberal parties to form the Grand Alliance
. Manahan became one of the candidates of the Alliance for the senatorial election. However, Manahan was not able to win a seat in the Senate.
In the 1961 general election
, the Grand Alliance joined forces with the Liberal Party to oppose President Garcia's bid for reelection and endorse Vice-President Macapagal's presidential candidacy. Under the coalition, Manahan made a second attempt for a seat in the Senate and succeeded.
As senator, he headed the Senate Committee on Banks, Corporations and Franchises, as well as the Senate committees for scientific management, national defense and security, cultural minorities, and provincial and municipal governments and cities. He also served as a member of the Commission on Appointments. Manahan also worked on the decentralization bill together with longtime ally Manglapus, who was also elected as Senator in the same year.
, the Party for Philippine Progress was formed, with Manahan serving as the running mate for the party's presidential candidate Manglapus. However, both were not successful in the election, with Manahan managing to acquire only 3 percent of the vote.
Manahan was awarded with the Dona Aurora - Aragon Award for Peace and the "Lux in Domini" award of the Ateneo de Manila. He was also named "Ama ng Kooperatiba" (Father of the Cooperatives) by President Corazon Aquino.
Manahan passed away due to heart failure on May 18, 1994 in Caba, La Union. He is survived by his wife Constancia la Guardia, with whom he has seven children.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, businessman, and rural development
Rural development
Rural development in general denotes economic development and community development actions and initiatives taken to improve the standard of living in non-urban neighbourhoods, remote villages and the countryside...
advocate. He was a key government official during the administration of President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Ramon Magsaysay
Ramon Magsaysay
Ramón del Fierro Magsaysay was the third President of the Republic of the Philippines from December 30, 1953 until his death in a plane crash in 1957. He was elected President under the banner of the Nacionalista Party.-Early life:Ramon F...
, best known for his stint as the head of the Presidential Complaints and Action Commission. Together with Raul Manglapus
Raul Manglapus
Raúl Sevilla Manglapus was a prominent post-World War II Filipino politician. He co-founded the reformist Progressive Party of the Philippines and the Christian Democratic Socialist Movement in 1968 .He was appointed as the Philippines' youngest-ever foreign minister in 1957,...
, he co-founded the Progressive Party of the Philippines and served as its presidential candidate in 1957. He also served as Senator of the Philippines
Senate of the Philippines
The Senate of the Philippines is the upper chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, the Congress of the Philippines...
from 1961 until 1967.
Early life and career
Manahan was the third of six children of Juan Manahan and Cleotilde Perez. He finished high school in 1933 at the Ateneo de Manila, and acquired his bachelor of arts degree in 1937 at the same institution.After finishing his studies, Manahan began a business career, most notably in soft drinks manufacturing. In 1933, he established the Philippine Standard Products Company. In 1937, he became a business apprentice for Heacock's.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was imprisoned in Fort Santiago by Japanese forces after he was suspected of being in contact with the Philippine Army. He shared a crowded cell along with other prominent Filipinos such as Eulogio Rodriguez
Eulogio Rodriguez
Eulogio "Amang" Adona Rodríguez, Sr. was a Filipino politician, the longest serving Senate President after Manuel L...
, Colonel Jose Olivares, and Bienvenido de la Paz. He was eventually released four months later.
After his release, he went on to work for the Liberator, an underground newspaper. For this he was awarded the Legion of Honor.
Journalistic career
After World War II, Manahan assisted in the editing and publication of the Free Philippines, a political paper. Later, he published three Manila newspapers, namely: the Liberty News (English daily), Bagong Buhay (Tagalog daily), and La Voz de Manila (Spanish publication). He also served as the representative of the Philippine press in the United Nations Conference in San Francisco.In 1953, he was elected as the president of the Philippine News Service.
Early government service
In 1954, he was appointed by President Ramon Magsaysay as the head of the Presidential Complaints and Action Commission (PCAC), a newly-formed commission responsible for receiving complaints against government officials and employees, among other problems. He also headed an anonymous organization responsible for screening prospective appointees of the Magsaysay administration for their moral fitness.Due to his success in managing the PCAC, he was later appointed as commissioner of customs. In his new position, he successfully implemented significant reforms in the graft-prone agency. For this, the Philippine Free Press dubbed as the "Man of the Year" in 1955.
He also played a key role in the negotiations and surrender of Luis Taruc
Luis Taruc
Luis Taruc was a Filipino political figure and communist insurgent. He was the leader of the Hukbalahap rebel group between 1942 and 1954. His involvement with the movement came after his initiation to the problems of agrarian Filipinos when he was a student in the early 1930s...
, the leader of the communist group Hukbalahap
Hukbalahap
The Hukbalahap , was the military arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines , formed in 1942 to fight the Japanese Empire's occupation of the Philippines during World War II. It fought a second war from 1946 to 1954 against the pro-Western leaders of their newly independent country...
.
1957 presidential campaign
When Magsaysay died due to a plane crash in 1957, Vice President Carlos P. GarciaCarlos P. Garcia
Carlos Polistico García was a Filipino teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official, political economist and guerrilla leader...
soon ascended to the presidential throne. With the presidential election
Philippine presidential election, 1957
Presidential, legislative and local elections were held on November 12, 1957 in the Philippines. Incumbent President Carlos P. Garcia won his opportunity to get a full term as President of the Philippines after the death of President Ramon Magsaysay in a plane crash in March 1957. His running mate,...
scheduled to be held in the same year, Magsaysay's death also triggered a chaotic political situation in the country, most notably with the ruling Nacionalista Party
Nacionalista Party
The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...
.
Manahan, among other Nacionalistas closely associated with Magsaysay, were disappointed by the "cold treatment" given to them by allies of President Garcia and decided to leave the party. Soon, Manahan co-founded the Progressive Party of the Philippines together with Raul Manglapus. The new party aimed to be an alternative to the Nacionalista Party and the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Philippines)
The Liberal Party of the Philippines is a liberal party in the Philippines, founded by then senators Senate President Manuel Roxas, Senate President Pro-Tempore Elpidio Quirino, and former 9th Senatorial District Senator Jose Avelino, on November 24, 1945 by a breakaway Liberal group from the...
. Manahan served as its candidate for the presidential election, with Vicente Araneta as his running mate.
Despite having less money compared to the candidates of the two major parties, he was able to rally significant support among the masses with his popular appeal and his resemblance, both physically and ideologically, to the late President Magsaysay.
On September 7, 1957, Manahan survived an assassination attempt while campaigning in Opon
Lapu-Lapu City
The City of Lapu-Lapu is a first class highly urbanized city in the province of Cebu in the Philippines. The city occupies most of Mactan Island, a few kilometer off the main island of Cebu and also covers the Olango Island Group further to the southeast, plus a few other islets. It is part of the...
, Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
. Andronico Baguio, the would-be assassin, attempted to kill Manahan with a 7-inch knife. However, he was quickly apprehended by Manahan's bodyguards. Manahan eventually asked the police to release Baguio as soon as they confiscated his knife.
Manahan lost to Garcia in the presidential election, managing to rank in 3rd place with 20.90 percent of the vote. Araneta, his runningmate, lost to Diosdado Macapagal
Diosdado Macapagal
Diosdado Pangan Macapagal was the ninth President of the Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965, and the sixth Vice President, serving from 1957 to 1961. He also served as a member of the House of Representatives, and headed the Constitutional Convention of 1970...
of the Liberal Party.
Senatorial career
In the 1959 general electionPhilippine general election, 1959
Senatorial elections were held on November 10, 1959. The 1959 elections were known as the 1959 Philippine midterm election as the date when the elected officials take office falls half-way through President Carlos P...
, the Progressive Party collaborated with defectors from the Nacionalista and Liberal parties to form the Grand Alliance
Grand Alliance (Philippines)
The Grand Alliance was a political coalition in the Philippines that existed from 1959 to 1965. It was composed of members of the Progressive Party and defectors from the Nacionalista Party and the Liberal Party.-Formation:...
. Manahan became one of the candidates of the Alliance for the senatorial election. However, Manahan was not able to win a seat in the Senate.
In the 1961 general election
Philippine general election, 1961
A senatorial election was held on November 14, 1961 in the Philippines. The two candidates of the Progressive Party, guest candidates of the Liberal Party, topped the election, while the Liberals themselves won four seats cutting the Nacionalista Party's majority to 13 seats in the 24-seat...
, the Grand Alliance joined forces with the Liberal Party to oppose President Garcia's bid for reelection and endorse Vice-President Macapagal's presidential candidacy. Under the coalition, Manahan made a second attempt for a seat in the Senate and succeeded.
As senator, he headed the Senate Committee on Banks, Corporations and Franchises, as well as the Senate committees for scientific management, national defense and security, cultural minorities, and provincial and municipal governments and cities. He also served as a member of the Commission on Appointments. Manahan also worked on the decentralization bill together with longtime ally Manglapus, who was also elected as Senator in the same year.
1965 vice-presidential campaign
After President Diosdado Macapagal failed to meet the expectations of the Grand Alliance, several members, including Manahan, separated from the Liberal Party. In the 1965 general electionPhilippine general election, 1965
A senatorial election was held on November 19, 1965 in the Philippines. The Nacionalista Party wrestled back control of the Senate; originally a Liberal, Senate President Ferdinand Marcos defected to the Nacionalistas, became their presidential candidate and won this year's election...
, the Party for Philippine Progress was formed, with Manahan serving as the running mate for the party's presidential candidate Manglapus. However, both were not successful in the election, with Manahan managing to acquire only 3 percent of the vote.
Post-political career and death
After leaving the Senate in 1967, Manahan served as chairman of the Cooperative Foundation of the Philippines and of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement. He also served briefly as president of Tabacalera. Prior to the declaration of martial law in 1972, Manahan served as the executive vice-president of the Manila Times Publishing Corporation. Prior to his death, he served as chairman of the board of the College Assurance Plan and the CAP Pension Corporation.Manahan was awarded with the Dona Aurora - Aragon Award for Peace and the "Lux in Domini" award of the Ateneo de Manila. He was also named "Ama ng Kooperatiba" (Father of the Cooperatives) by President Corazon Aquino.
Manahan passed away due to heart failure on May 18, 1994 in Caba, La Union. He is survived by his wife Constancia la Guardia, with whom he has seven children.