MANUEL
ROXAS
"Our noble aspirations
for nationhood, long cherished and ardously contended for by our
people, will be realised."
Born: January 1, 1892
Died: April 15, 1948
Position in History: Philippines: 5th President, Commonwealth: 3rd
President, Third Republic: 1st President
Commonwealth Presidential Term: May 28, 1946 - July 4, 1946
Republic Presidential Term: July 4, 1946 - April 15, 1948
Duration of Terms: 37 days (Commonwealth), 651 days (Republic), 688
days (total)
The last president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and the first
president of the Third Republic of the Philippines. Manuel A. Roxas was
born in Capiz City (now Roxas City) to Gerardo Roxas Sr. and Rosario
Acuña. He completed his early education at the public school in
Capiz. After studying in Hong Kong, Roxas transferred to Manila High
School. He studied law at the University of the Philippines and
graduated in 1913.
Roxas went on to teach law at the Philippine Law School and was private
secretary to Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano. In 1917, he became a
member of the municipal council of his hometown of Capiz. Roxas became
governor of Capiz in 1919. In 1922, he was elected to the Philippine
House of Representatives where he served as Speaker of the House.
Roxas, along with Manuel Quezon and others including Jose Laurel
resigned in protest of American Governor-General Leonard Wood, who was
rejecting bills passed by the Philippine legislature. Roxas went with
Sergio Osmeña to the US in 1933 to secure passage of the
Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act. Roxas was one of the delegates in the drafting
of the 1935 Constitution. He was elected to the Senate in 1941 and
later became the Senate president.
During World War II, Roxas served in the Second Republic of the
Philippines. Like Jose Laurel and his cabinet, Roxas was branded as a
collaborator although he secretly supported the guerrilla movements.
After liberation, Roxas managed to recover his political career and
defeated Sergio Osmeña in the 1946 elections to become the third
and final president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. On July 4,
1946, the Philippines gained its long awaited independence and Roxas
became the first president of the Third Republic of the Philippines.
During his short presidency, Roxas achieved the ratification of the
Bell Trade Act, the inclusion of the Parity Amendment in the
Constitution and the signing 1947 Military Bases Agreement. The Roxas
administration was riddled with graft and corruption which caused much
distrust with the people. Further problems arose from the abuse of the
police and military which also contributed the already existing
problems of the left-wing Huks in the countryside. Roxas attempted to
crush the Huks but this only created widespread disaffection amongst
the peasants.
On April 15, 1948, while giving a speech at Clark Air Force Base,
Manuel Roxas died from a heart attack.
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