Wenceslao Vinzons
Encyclopedia
Wenceslao Quinito Vinzons (September 28, 1910 — July 15, 1942) was a Filipino
politician
and a leader of the armed resistance against the Japanese occupying forces during World War II
. Among the first Filipinos to organize the guerrilla resistance after the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1941, he was executed by the Japanese Army
.
to Gabino Vinzons and Engracia Quinito. He graduated valedictorian from his local high school, and proceeded to Manila
to study at the University of the Philippines
.
While at the university, Vinzons gained fame as a student leader. A member of Upsilon Sigma Phi
, Vinzons would be elected president of the student council and editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian.. He was also known for delivering an oratorical address entitled "Malaysia Irredenta", where he advocated the unification of Southeast Asia
n nations with a common Malay origin. The piece won him the Manuel L. Quezon gold medal for excellence.
Vinzons obtained his law degree
from the University of the Philippines College of Law
in 1932, and placed 3rd in the bar examinations
of the following year.
(a future senator and Marcos-era vice-president) founded a political party, the Young Philippines Party, which advocated the grant of Philippine independence from American rule. After the passage in 1934 of the Tydings-McDuffie Act
which laid the groundwork for independence, Vinzons successfully sought election
that same year as a delegate representing Camarines Norte
to the 1935 Constitutional Convention tasked with drafting a new constitution. As a member of the Convention, he was instrumental in prescribing Tagalog
as an official language of the Philippines. At 24, he was the youngest delegate, and the youngest signer of the 1935 Constitution.
During the 1935 presidential elections, Vinzons actively campaigned for the presidential bid of former president
Emilio Aguinaldo
, the main challenger to then-Senate President
Manuel Quezon. Vinzons' efforts helped Aguinaldo carry Camarines even though Quezon won the presidency. Following Aguinaldo's defeat, Vinzons put on hold his political career, opting instead to become the president of a mining corporation based in his home province.
Vinzons resumed political life in 1940, when he was elected
governor of Camarines Norte. The following year, he successfully ran for election
to the National Assembly
, representing the lone district of Camarines Norte
. His service in the legislature was interrupted by the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in December 1941.
against the invasion army, which had arrived in the region on December 12, 1941. He commandeered all the rice warehouses in Camarines Norte, and ordered the confiscation of explosives used in the province's gold mines for use against the Japanese army. By December 18, 1941, he would lead a raid against a troop of Japanese soldiers in Basud, Camarines Norte
. His guerrilla forces soon grew to around 2,800 strong, and in May 1942, Vinzons would lead these forces to successfully liberate the provincial capital of Daet
. It is said that between December 1941 and May 1942, Vinzon's troops, armed with poisoned arrows among others, were able to kill around 3,000 Japanese soldiers. As a result, the capture of Vinzons became a prime objective of the Japanese army.
With the help of a former guerrilla-turned-informant
, Vinzons was seized by the Japanese military together with his father on July 8, 1942. He refused to pledge allegiance to his captors, and was brought to a garrison in Daet. It was there, on July 15, 1942, that Vinzons was bayonet
ed to death after refusing one final entreaty to cooperate with the Japanese forces. Shortly thereafter, his father, wife, sister and two of his children were also executed by the Japanese.
Wenceslao Q. Vinzons, a member of the fraternity Upsilon Sigma Phi
, is hailed as the Father of Student Activism
in the Philippines
.
Vinzons' hometown of Indan was renamed Vinzons, in his memory, as was an elementary school in Manila
. The student activity center of the University of the Philippines
campus in Diliman
was named Vinzons Hall in 1959. Vinzons Hall also houses the offices of the Philippine Collegian. Senator Richard Gordon
, an admirer of Vinzons and himself a former UP student council and youngest Con Con delegate of 1972, commissioned sculptor Sajid Imao for a bust in his honor at Vinzons Hall as part of rehabilitation efforts by the UP Student Council in 2009.
Several of Vinzons' relatives embarked on political careers. Fernando Vinzons Pajarillo was related to Wenceslao and had been elected congressman and governor, for many terms. Wenceslao's son was a one-time governor. His daughter Rannie Vinzons-Gaite was once member of the Provincial Council.
The current lone legislative district of Camarines Norte
is currently served by a descendant, former BIR Commissioner and now Representative Liwayway Vinzons-Chato.
A three-act musical on Vinzon's life, entitled "Bintao", was staged at the University of the Cordilleras
in January 2008.
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...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and a leader of the armed resistance against the Japanese occupying forces 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...
. Among the first Filipinos to organize the guerrilla resistance after the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1941, he was executed by the Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
.
Early life and education
Vinzons was born in the town of Indan, Camarines NorteVinzons, Camarines Norte
Vinzons is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Camarines Norte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 39,470 people in 7,407 households. The first recorded name of Vinzons was Tacboan and was later changed to Indan at which time the Mayor was Pedro Barbin. The...
to Gabino Vinzons and Engracia Quinito. He graduated valedictorian from his local high school, and proceeded to Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
to study at the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
.
While at the university, Vinzons gained fame as a student leader. A member of Upsilon Sigma Phi
Upsilon Sigma Phi
-History:The Upsilon Sigma Phi is the oldest Greek-letter fraternity in Asia . Nebulously formed in 1918.It was formally organized on November 19, 1920 in a meeting held at the Metropolitan Restaurant in Intramuros. Four months later, on March 24, 1921, the Greek letters ΥΣΦ standing for the...
, Vinzons would be elected president of the student council and editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian.. He was also known for delivering an oratorical address entitled "Malaysia Irredenta", where he advocated the unification of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n nations with a common Malay origin. The piece won him the Manuel L. Quezon gold medal for excellence.
Vinzons obtained his law degree
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
from the University of the Philippines College of Law
University of the Philippines College of Law
University of the Philippines College of Law or UP Law is the law school of the University of the Philippines. Since 1948, it has been located at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City, the flagship campus of UP's seven constituent universities. Until the 1970s, night classes of...
in 1932, and placed 3rd in the bar examinations
Philippine Bar Examination
The Philippine Bar Examination is the professional licensure examination for lawyers in the Philippines.It is the only professional licensure exam in the country that is not supervised by the Professional Regulation Commission...
of the following year.
Political career
After graduation, Vinzons, along with Narciso J. Alegre and Arturo M. TolentinoArturo Tolentino
Arturo Modesto Tolentino was a prominent political figure in the Philippines who briefly held the position of vice president in 1986. He is more well known as the father of the Philippine “archipelagic doctrine” and expert on the Law of the Sea.-Early career:Arturo M. Tolentino was born in Manila...
(a future senator and Marcos-era vice-president) founded a political party, the Young Philippines Party, which advocated the grant of Philippine independence from American rule. After the passage in 1934 of the Tydings-McDuffie Act
Tydings-McDuffie Act
The Tydings-McDuffie Act approved on March 24, 1934 was a United States federal law which provided for self-government of the Philippines and for Filipino independence after a period of ten years. It was authored by Maryland Senator Millard E...
which laid the groundwork for independence, Vinzons successfully sought election
Philippine Constitutional Convention election, 1934
In accordance to the Tydings-McDuffie Law, election of delegates to the 1934 Constitutional Convention was held on July 10, 1934.-Results:-See also:*Commission on Elections*Politics of the Philippines*Philippine elections*Philippine Constitution...
that same year as a delegate representing Camarines Norte
Camarines Norte
Camarines Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Daet and the province borders Quezon to the west and Camarines Sur to the south.-Demographics:...
to the 1935 Constitutional Convention tasked with drafting a new constitution. As a member of the Convention, he was instrumental in prescribing Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
as an official language of the Philippines. At 24, he was the youngest delegate, and the youngest signer of the 1935 Constitution.
During the 1935 presidential elections, Vinzons actively campaigned for the presidential bid of former 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...
Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role during the Philippines' revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War or War of Philippine Independence that resisted American occupation...
, the main challenger to then-Senate President
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...
Manuel Quezon. Vinzons' efforts helped Aguinaldo carry Camarines even though Quezon won the presidency. Following Aguinaldo's defeat, Vinzons put on hold his political career, opting instead to become the president of a mining corporation based in his home province.
Vinzons resumed political life in 1940, when he was elected
Philippine special election, 1940
Special National Assembly elections and local elections were held in the Philippines on December 10, 1940 for the four vacant seats in the National Assembly and for local positions in the provinces, municipalities and cities.-External links:*...
governor of Camarines Norte. The following year, he successfully ran for election
Philippine general election, 1941
Presidential, legislative and local elections were held on November 11, 1941 in the Philippines. Incumbent President Manuel Luis Quezon won an unprecedented second partial term as President of the Philippines via a landslide. His running mate, Vice President Sergio Osmeña also won via landslide...
to the National Assembly
House of Representatives of the Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...
, representing the lone district of Camarines Norte
Legislative district of Camarines Norte
The lone Legislative District of Camarines Norte is the representation of the Province of Camarines Norte in the Philippine House of Representatives. Camarines Norte was represented as part of the first and second districts of Ambos Camarines prior to being granted its own representation, after the...
. His service in the legislature was interrupted by the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in December 1941.
Guerrilla activities and execution
Within days following the arrival of the Japanese forces in the Philippines, Vinzons began to organize armed resistance in the Bicol regionBicol Region
The Bicol Region or Bicolandia is one of the 17 regions of the Philippines. Its regional center is Legazpi City...
against the invasion army, which had arrived in the region on December 12, 1941. He commandeered all the rice warehouses in Camarines Norte, and ordered the confiscation of explosives used in the province's gold mines for use against the Japanese army. By December 18, 1941, he would lead a raid against a troop of Japanese soldiers in Basud, Camarines Norte
Basud, Camarines Norte
Basud is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Camarines Norte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 33,885 people in 6,508 households.-History:...
. His guerrilla forces soon grew to around 2,800 strong, and in May 1942, Vinzons would lead these forces to successfully liberate the provincial capital of Daet
Daet, Camarines Norte
Daet, also known as the "Gateway to Bicolandia". A 1st class municipality in the province of Camarines Norte, Philippines. It is the capital municipality of Camarines Norte. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 94,184 or 18.33% of Camarines Norte's population. The current mayor of...
. It is said that between December 1941 and May 1942, Vinzon's troops, armed with poisoned arrows among others, were able to kill around 3,000 Japanese soldiers. As a result, the capture of Vinzons became a prime objective of the Japanese army.
With the help of a former guerrilla-turned-informant
Informant
An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants , and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information...
, Vinzons was seized by the Japanese military together with his father on July 8, 1942. He refused to pledge allegiance to his captors, and was brought to a garrison in Daet. It was there, on July 15, 1942, that Vinzons was bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
ed to death after refusing one final entreaty to cooperate with the Japanese forces. Shortly thereafter, his father, wife, sister and two of his children were also executed by the Japanese.
Tributes
Upsilon Sigma Phi
-History:The Upsilon Sigma Phi is the oldest Greek-letter fraternity in Asia . Nebulously formed in 1918.It was formally organized on November 19, 1920 in a meeting held at the Metropolitan Restaurant in Intramuros. Four months later, on March 24, 1921, the Greek letters ΥΣΦ standing for the...
, is hailed as the Father of Student Activism
Student activism
Student activism is work done by students to effect political, environmental, economic, or social change. It has often focused on making changes in schools, such as increasing student influence over curriculum or improving educational funding...
in the Philippines
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...
.
Vinzons' hometown of Indan was renamed Vinzons, in his memory, as was an elementary school in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. The student activity center of the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
campus in Diliman
University of the Philippines, Diliman
The University of the Philippines Diliman , is a coeducational and public research university located in Quezon City, Philippines. It is the flagship university, seat of administration, and the fourth oldest constituent university of the University of the Philippines System...
was named Vinzons Hall in 1959. Vinzons Hall also houses the offices of the Philippine Collegian. Senator Richard Gordon
Richard Gordon (politician)
Richard "Dick" Juico Gordon is a Filipino politician and broadcaster who currently serves as the chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross....
, an admirer of Vinzons and himself a former UP student council and youngest Con Con delegate of 1972, commissioned sculptor Sajid Imao for a bust in his honor at Vinzons Hall as part of rehabilitation efforts by the UP Student Council in 2009.
Several of Vinzons' relatives embarked on political careers. Fernando Vinzons Pajarillo was related to Wenceslao and had been elected congressman and governor, for many terms. Wenceslao's son was a one-time governor. His daughter Rannie Vinzons-Gaite was once member of the Provincial Council.
The current lone legislative district of Camarines Norte
Camarines Norte
Camarines Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Daet and the province borders Quezon to the west and Camarines Sur to the south.-Demographics:...
is currently served by a descendant, former BIR Commissioner and now Representative Liwayway Vinzons-Chato.
A three-act musical on Vinzon's life, entitled "Bintao", was staged at the University of the Cordilleras
University of the Cordilleras
The University of the Cordilleras, formerly known as Baguio Colleges Foundation , is a private university in Baguio City, Philippines...
in January 2008.