Claro M. Recto

Gravesite of Claro M. Recto in Manila North Cemetery

Claro Mayo Recto (born February 8, 1890 in Tiaong , Quezon , Philippines , † October 2, 1960 in Rome ) was a Filipino lawyer , author and politician .

biography

After attending primary school in Tiaong and high school in Lipa City , he studied at Ateneo de Manila University and graduated in 1909 with a Bachelor of Arts (AB) maxima cum laude . He then completed postgraduate studies in law at the University of Santo Tomas , where he obtained a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in 1914 . After his subsequent admission, he began working as a lawyer in 1914 .

Recto began his political career in 1919 when he was first elected to the House of Representatives and represented the 3rd electoral district of Batangas Province . He later served as the leader of the Minority Floor Leader in the House of Representatives for several years .

In 1931 he was elected a member of the Senate for the first time and until 1935 he represented the then 5th Senate electoral district, which included the provinces of Batangas, Mindoro , Tayabas, Cavite and Marinduque . At first he was also a minority leader in the Senate from 1931 to 1934, before he was then from 1934 to 1935 leader of the faction of the majority in the Senate ( Majority Floor Leader ). During this time he was also President of the Commission for the Drafting of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and also submitted the draft constitution to US President Franklin D. Roosevelt for final examination and signature . He is therefore considered the "Father of the Philippine Constitution".

After his resignation from the Senate, he was appointed Associate Justice to the Supreme Court, the Philippine Supreme Court, by President Roosevelt in 1935 , and in particular gained reputation in the debates with the then US Attorney General Homer S. Cummings on status of the US Army military bases in the Philippines. He held the office of Associate Justice until 1936.

In November 1941 he was again elected a member of the Senate and was a de facto member of this body from 1942 to 1946, with the Senate only meeting once in June 1945. However, only 16 of the 24 senators were present at this meeting, as the remaining senate members were imprisoned for collaboration with the Japanese occupation forces .

In addition, Recto was initially from 1942 to 1943 Commissioner for Education, Health and Public Welfare, before he was Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in the government of President Manuel Quezon from 1943 to 1944 .

In 1949 he was re-elected Senator and re-elected as such in November 1955. In 1957 he ran for president, but was defeated by Carlos P. Garcia .

Most recently in 1960 he was Ambassador Extraordinary and Envoy Plenipotentiary Cultural Representative of the Philippines on a mission to Latin America and Europe and died during this trip in Rome.

In addition to his extensive political activities, he was also the author of books on politics and contract law .

After he was barangays in the towns of Catubig and Maigo and Claro M. Recto Avenue in Tondo named.

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personal data
SURNAME	Recto, Claro M.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Recto, Claro Mayo (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Filipino politician, lawyer and author
DATE OF BIRTH	February 8, 1890
PLACE OF BIRTH	Tiaong , Tayabas
DATE OF DEATH	October 2, 1960
Place of death	Rome