Manuel Roxas

Manuel Roxas

Manuel Acuña Roxas (born January 1, 1892 in Capiz , Philippines , † April 15, 1948 at Clark Air Base in Angeles City , Pampanga ) was a Filipino politician and President of the Philippines .

Studies and first professional activities

Roxas finished his law studies at the University of the Philippines in 1913 as the best in his class. Subsequently, he was the private secretary of the then President of the Supreme Court Cayetano Arrelano . From 1915 to 1916 he was finally a professor of law himself.

Political career

Governor and MP

In 1917, Manuel Roxas began his political career as a member of the city council in his native Capiz. Just two years later he became governor of the province of Capiz and held this office until 1921.

In 1921 he ran successfully for the House of Representatives of the Philippines . There he represented the first constituency of the Province of Capiz from 1922 to 1934. From 1922 to 1933 he was also the successor to Sergio Osmeña Speaker of the House of Representatives. At the same time he became a member of the State Council.

When the then US Governor General of the Philippines Leonard Wood submitted laws to the two chambers of the Philippine Congress , the Senate and the House of Representatives , in 1924, Roxas resigned from the State Council together with the then President of the Senate Manuel Quezon .

Independence negotiations 1933 to 1934

Together with Osmeña, he traveled to the USA in 1933 and 1934 to negotiate the independence of the Philippines from the USA. As a result of these negotiations, the Hare Hawes Cutting Independence Act of 1934 was finally passed, which provided full independence after a transitional period of ten years as the self-governing Commonwealth of the Philippines . However, Quezon contradicted Roxas' opinion on this law, which ultimately led to the dissolution of the "Nacionalista Party".

Commonwealth and Japanese occupation times

From 1935 to 1938 Roxas was again a member of the Philippine Legislative Assembly . In 1938 President Quezon appointed him Minister of Finance. He held this office until 1941. He was then Executive Secretary and as such was responsible for relations between President Quezon and the USAAF .

After the Japanese occupation of the Philippines began in 1941, he supported the pro-Japanese government of President José P. Laurel to obtain rice deliveries for the Japanese occupying forces .

After the war ended, Roxas was charged with collaboration and complicity with the Japanese government. However, the charges were withdrawn after his defense by his friend U.S. General Douglas MacArthur .

President of the Philippines from 1946 to 1948

Manuel Roxas (3rd from left) attending a flight demonstration at Clark Air Base on April 15, 1948 , a few hours before he died of a heart attack.

After the end of the war, Roxas first became President of the Senate.

After the presidential election he was sworn in as the last President of the Commonwealth on May 28, 1946. When the Philippines finally gained full independence from the United States on July 4, 1946, Manuel Roxas became the first President of the Republic of the Philippines.

During his presidency he campaigned for the reconstruction and repair of the war damage. For this he asked in particular for American economic aid. At the same time, he concluded agreements with the former American colonial power on trade and military relations for a period of 99 years. However, the majority of Filipinos were dissatisfied with these long-term contracts. In addition, Roxas found itself increasingly exposed to domestic political problems such as corruption and nepotism as well as a rise in the communist rebel organization Hukbalahap .

President Roxas passed away after almost two years of presidency. His hometown Capiz was later renamed Roxas City in his honor .

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• Information in rulers.org
• Biography in geocities.com ( Memento from October 12, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
• Biography in globalpinoy.com

Individual evidence

1. ↑ See en: Hare-Hawes-Cutting Independence Bill