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.