Philippine Assembly election, 1907
Encyclopedia
The Elections for the Members of the Philippine Assembly were held in the Philippines
on July 30, 1907 pursuant to the Philippine Organic Act of 1902
in where it prescribed the establishment of a bicameral legislature composed of the Philippine Commission
(Upper House) and the Philippine Assembly
(Lower House) in where the members of the Philippine Assembly would have elections after the publication of the Census of the Philippines which was done in 1903.
(then known as the "Philippine Insurrection"), William Howard Taft
and a United States Congress
delegation arrived in the country and assessed the situation. The Philippine Assembly
was subsequently created in 1902 by the Philippine Organic Act of 1902
.
By then, divisions were created between those who advocated statehood within the United States (the Federalistas) and those who advocated independence (the Independistas). The opposition against American rule were unable to mount a united front for the 1906 local elections, with only the Comitė de Intereses Filipinos presenting a united, yet limited, organization that sought to influence the elections. By mid-1906, those in opposition to American rule began organizing themselves into political parties.
The merger of the Comitė de la Union Nacional and the Partido Popular Independista created the Partido de la Union Nacionalista. The Union Nacionalistas deferred the hardline path and instead settled in an evolutionary position. Meanwhile, the Independistas urged on a platform of immediate independence from the U.S. After failing to broker a deal with the Independistas, the Union Nacionalista proposed a merger with the Federalistas. Juan Sumulong, who led the Federalistas, advocated a radical policy, more in line with the "conservative" wing of the Union Nacionalistas led by Rafael Palma
. The Federalistas consulted Governor-General James Francis Smith
, who then sought to advice of Taft on the matter. Both Smith and Taft opposed the union, with Smith saying to Sumulong that a fusion will "result in the complete obliteration of the conservative element as a political actor in the community." The refusal of Federalistas reopened talks between the Union Nacionalista and the Independistas.
The Independistas organized themselves in January 1907 with a leadership election. To prevent further split, Alberto Barretto and Justo Lukban were elected co-leaders of the party. The election of Fernando Guerrero, Sergio Osmeña
, Teodoro Sandiko and Isauro Gabaldon
as counselors marked the first time that a Manila-based political group established links with provincial leaders.
.
While the Nacionalistas will have a rotating leadership, the manner of selection of the candidates was a source of major dispute and the party convention at the Manila Grand Opera House
ended in disarray. The Progresistas, on the other hand, dropped Federal from the party name seeing that the word had outlived its usefulness and had changed their name to Partido Nacional Progresista (National Progressive Party).
. In Manila, the Progresistas resorted to encouraging Americans to register and vote for them. However, the Federalistas were able to field in candidates in far-flung areas in Visayas and Mindanao.
While the Progresistas were having a hard time on increasing their ranks, they instead relied on a strategy that will ensure the defeat of Nacionalistas candidates that will oppose Progresista policies.
The Nacionalistas split their ranks when Guerrero and Lukban, members of the old Independista group were dropped from the ticket in favor of Dominador Gomez and Felipe del Pan. Quezon, brokered a deal that set a party convention that will settle candidacies but it was never convened; Gomez and del Pan remain the official candidates for the "regular" Nacionalistas. Guerrero and Lukban ultimately set up the Liga Nacional Independecia whose sole purpose is to contest 1907 elections.
The Progresistas led by Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, on the other hand, opposed "immediate" independence. The reception at Progresista political rallies were from lukewarm to hostile, with people heckling "Hang them, kill them".
On election day, the Partido Nacionalista, with its national organization in disarray, was able to field a candidate in 68 of the 80 districts.
. However, Gomez's citizenship was questioned, and Paterno found himself to be Osmeña's leading opponent.
Gomez was found to be an American citizen and a new election for his seat was called. Gomez still ran in the election and beat Lukban by a larger margin, about 400 votes. Gomez was permitted to take his seat, but not after seven months has passed, and after Osmeña was elected Speaker on October 16, 1907, with Quezon as the majority floor leader.
The defeat of the Progresistas in the elections hastened their downfall; the Nacionalista Party will continue to dominate the elections for the legislature, and the Progresistas, and later their successor the Democratas, will remain in opposition.
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...
on July 30, 1907 pursuant to the Philippine Organic Act of 1902
Philippine Organic Act (1902)
The Philippine Organic Act, popularly known as the Philippine Bill of 1902 and sometimes known as the Cooper Act after its author Henry A. Cooper, was the first organic law for the Philippines enacted by the United States Congress during the American Colonial Period in the Philippines...
in where it prescribed the establishment of a bicameral legislature composed of the Philippine Commission
Philippine Commission
The Philippine Commission was a body appointed by the President of the United States to exercise legislative and limited executive powers in the Philippines. It was first appointed by President William McKinley in 1901. Beginning in 1907, it acted as the upper house of a bicameral Philippine...
(Upper House) and the Philippine Assembly
Philippine Assembly
The Philippine Assembly was the lower house of the legislative body of the Philippines during the early part of American colonial period. It was created by the Philippine Organic Act, passed in 1902, which also established the Philippine Commission as the upper house of the Philippine Legislature,...
(Lower House) in where the members of the Philippine Assembly would have elections after the publication of the Census of the Philippines which was done in 1903.
Federalistas, Independistas and Union Nacionalistas
After the conclusion of the Philippine-American WarPhilippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
(then known as the "Philippine Insurrection"), William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
and a United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
delegation arrived in the country and assessed the situation. The Philippine Assembly
Philippine Assembly
The Philippine Assembly was the lower house of the legislative body of the Philippines during the early part of American colonial period. It was created by the Philippine Organic Act, passed in 1902, which also established the Philippine Commission as the upper house of the Philippine Legislature,...
was subsequently created in 1902 by the Philippine Organic Act of 1902
Philippine Organic Act (1902)
The Philippine Organic Act, popularly known as the Philippine Bill of 1902 and sometimes known as the Cooper Act after its author Henry A. Cooper, was the first organic law for the Philippines enacted by the United States Congress during the American Colonial Period in the Philippines...
.
By then, divisions were created between those who advocated statehood within the United States (the Federalistas) and those who advocated independence (the Independistas). The opposition against American rule were unable to mount a united front for the 1906 local elections, with only the Comitė de Intereses Filipinos presenting a united, yet limited, organization that sought to influence the elections. By mid-1906, those in opposition to American rule began organizing themselves into political parties.
The merger of the Comitė de la Union Nacional and the Partido Popular Independista created the Partido de la Union Nacionalista. The Union Nacionalistas deferred the hardline path and instead settled in an evolutionary position. Meanwhile, the Independistas urged on a platform of immediate independence from the U.S. After failing to broker a deal with the Independistas, the Union Nacionalista proposed a merger with the Federalistas. Juan Sumulong, who led the Federalistas, advocated a radical policy, more in line with the "conservative" wing of the Union Nacionalistas led by Rafael Palma
Rafael Palma
Rafael Palma was a Filipino politician, Rizalian, reporter, writer, educator and a famous mason in Philippines. He also became the fourth President of the University of the Philippines.- Honors :...
. The Federalistas consulted Governor-General James Francis Smith
James Francis Smith
James Francis Smith was an American Brigadier General, associate justice to the Supreme Court of the Philippines, Governor-General of the Philippines, and associate judge of the U.S. Court of Customs Appeals until his death....
, who then sought to advice of Taft on the matter. Both Smith and Taft opposed the union, with Smith saying to Sumulong that a fusion will "result in the complete obliteration of the conservative element as a political actor in the community." The refusal of Federalistas reopened talks between the Union Nacionalista and the Independistas.
The Independistas organized themselves in January 1907 with a leadership election. To prevent further split, Alberto Barretto and Justo Lukban were elected co-leaders of the party. The election of Fernando Guerrero, Sergio Osmeña
Sergio Osmeña
Sergio Osmeña y Suico was a Filipino politician who served as the 4th President of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946. He was Vice President under Manuel L. Quezon, and rose to the presidency upon Quezon's death in 1944, being the oldest Philippine president to hold office at age 65...
, Teodoro Sandiko and Isauro Gabaldon
Isauro Gabaldon
Isauro Gabaldon was a Resident Commissioner from the Philippine Islands serving from 1920 until 1929.He was born in San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. He attended the public schools in Tebar, Spain. He studied law in the Universidad Central, in Madrid, Spain and graduated from the University of...
as counselors marked the first time that a Manila-based political group established links with provincial leaders.
The Nacionalistas and the Progresistas
In late January, the Federalistas organized themselves into a new name, Partido Nacional Progresista and launched a campaign to win seats in provinces around Manila. The nationalist-leaning groups launched negotiations to present a unified slate in the elections; Meanwhile, Palma insisted on having the word "Immediata" (immediate) to the party name of the proposed merger of the Union Nacionalistas and the Independistas. On March 12, 1907, the Union Nacionalista and the Independistas merged to form the Partido NacionalistaNacionalista 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...
.
While the Nacionalistas will have a rotating leadership, the manner of selection of the candidates was a source of major dispute and the party convention at the Manila Grand Opera House
Manila Grand Opera House
The Manila Grand Opera House was a theater and opera house located in the Santa Cruz district of Manila on the intersection of Rizal Avenue and Doroteo Jose Street. Built in the mid-19th century as the H.T...
ended in disarray. The Progresistas, on the other hand, dropped Federal from the party name seeing that the word had outlived its usefulness and had changed their name to Partido Nacional Progresista (National Progressive Party).
Campaign
While the Nacionalistas were in disarray, the Progresistas orchestrated a well-organized "popular assembly". The Progresistas established networks on local strongmen on already associated with the Nacionalistas; however, they were only able to field candidates in half of the districts in Central and southwestern Luzon. The Progresistas were unable to recruit supporters even in places were a Progresista is in office, save for TarlacTarlac
Tarlac is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Luzon Island. Its capital is Tarlac City. Tarlac borders Pampanga to the south, Nueva Ecija to the east, Pangasinan to the north, and Zambales to the west...
. In Manila, the Progresistas resorted to encouraging Americans to register and vote for them. However, the Federalistas were able to field in candidates in far-flung areas in Visayas and Mindanao.
While the Progresistas were having a hard time on increasing their ranks, they instead relied on a strategy that will ensure the defeat of Nacionalistas candidates that will oppose Progresista policies.
The Nacionalistas split their ranks when Guerrero and Lukban, members of the old Independista group were dropped from the ticket in favor of Dominador Gomez and Felipe del Pan. Quezon, brokered a deal that set a party convention that will settle candidacies but it was never convened; Gomez and del Pan remain the official candidates for the "regular" Nacionalistas. Guerrero and Lukban ultimately set up the Liga Nacional Independecia whose sole purpose is to contest 1907 elections.
The Progresistas led by Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, on the other hand, opposed "immediate" independence. The reception at Progresista political rallies were from lukewarm to hostile, with people heckling "Hang them, kill them".
On election day, the Partido Nacionalista, with its national organization in disarray, was able to field a candidate in 68 of the 80 districts.
Aftermath
While the candidates representing the Nacionalistas won majority of the seats in the assembly, the maneuvering to the election for the Speaker of the Assembly began, as the Speaker would be the most powerful Filipino in government. Quezon and Osmeña focused on aggregating the delegates around Osmeña's leadership, a task that became easier than the two had anticipated. With less than two dozen delegates, the Progresistas won't be able to elect a Speaker from their ranks and were marginalized from the talks amongst the Nacionalistas. Osmeña found two opponents for the Speakership: Gomez who defeated Lukban by 31 votes, and Pedro PaternoPedro Paterno
Pedro Alejandro Paterno y de Vera-Ignacio, also spelled Pedro Alejandro Paterno y Debera Ignacio was a Filipino politician, as well as a poet and novelist.His intervention on behalf of the Spanish led to the signing of the Pact of...
. However, Gomez's citizenship was questioned, and Paterno found himself to be Osmeña's leading opponent.
Gomez was found to be an American citizen and a new election for his seat was called. Gomez still ran in the election and beat Lukban by a larger margin, about 400 votes. Gomez was permitted to take his seat, but not after seven months has passed, and after Osmeña was elected Speaker on October 16, 1907, with Quezon as the majority floor leader.
The defeat of the Progresistas in the elections hastened their downfall; the Nacionalista Party will continue to dominate the elections for the legislature, and the Progresistas, and later their successor the Democratas, will remain in opposition.