1st Congress of the Commonwealth of the Philippines

The First Congress of the Commonwealth of the Philippines
Commonwealth of the Philippines
The Commonwealth of the Philippines was a designation of the Philippines from 1935 to 1946 when the country was a commonwealth of the United States. The Commonwealth was created by the Tydings-McDuffie Act, which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1934. When Manuel L...

(Filipino

Filipino language

This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...

: Unang Kongreso ng Komenwelt ng Pilipinas) , also known as the "Postwar Congress" and the "Liberation Congress", refers to the meeting of the bicameral legislature

Legislature

A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...

composed of the Senate

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...

and House of Representatives

House of Representatives of the Philippines

The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...

, from 1945 to 1946. This Congress convened only after the reestablishment of the Commonwealth

Commonwealth of the Philippines

The Commonwealth of the Philippines was a designation of the Philippines from 1935 to 1946 when the country was a commonwealth of the United States. The Commonwealth was created by the Tydings-McDuffie Act, which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1934. When Manuel L...

Government in 1945 when President Sergio Osmeña

Sergio Osmeña

Sergio Osmeña y Suico was a Filipino politician who served as the 4th President of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946. He was Vice President under Manuel L. Quezon, and rose to the presidency upon Quezon's death in 1944, being the oldest Philippine president to hold office at age 65...

called it to five special sessions. Osmeña had replaced Manuel L. Quezon

Manuel L. Quezon

Manuel Luis Quezón y Molina served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944. He was the first Filipino to head a government of the Philippines...

as president after the former died in exile in the United States in 1944.

Significance of the First Commonwealth Congress

Not much has been written about the First Commonwealth Congress, despite its historical and political significance. This owes mainly to the briefness of its existence (i.e., less than a year). However, the First Commonwealth Congress was significant in at least two key respects:

First, it brought an end the president's exercise of legislative powers under the wartime emergency act passed by the defunct National Assembly in 1941. The opening of Congress in 1945 allowed democratically elected representatives to pass legislation, especially to deal with the Philippines' postwar problems. It also provided an institutional check against executive power, including the presidential power to appoint top officials of the (postwar) government and appropriate funds for its operations.

Second, the First Commonwealth Congress served as a well spring of political leaders for the soon-to-be independent Republic of the Philippines. The division within the monolithic Nacionalista Party of Quezon that led to the birth of the Liberal Party and the two-party system can be directly traced to the politics of the First Commonwealth Congress. Three Philippine presidents, Manuel Roxas

Manuel Roxas

Manuel Acuña Roxas was the first president of the independent Third Republic of the Philippines and fifth president overall. He served as president from the granting of independence in 1946 until his abrupt death in 1948...

, Elpidio Quirino

Elpidio Quirino

Elpidio Rivera Quirino was a Filipino politician, and the sixth President of the Philippines.A lawyer by profession, Quirino entered politics when he became a representative of Ilocos Sur from 1919 to 1925. He was then elected as senator from 1925–1931...

and Carlos P. Garcia

Carlos P. Garcia

Carlos Polistico García was a Filipino teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official, political economist and guerrilla leader...

were members of this Congress, as were postwar political party leaders like Senate President Eulogio Rodriguez

Eulogio Rodriguez

Eulogio "Amang" Adona Rodríguez, Sr. was a Filipino politician, the longest serving Senate President after Manuel L...

, Speaker Eugenio Perez

Eugenio Perez

Eugenio Pérez was a Filipino politician who served as Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from 1946 to 1953. He was a member of the Liberal Party, whose president he served as during his term as Speaker.-Early life:Pérez was born in San Carlos, Pangasinan...

, Senator Jose E. Romero and Senator Melecio Arranz. The patron-client orientation of the two-party system evolved in part from the resource constraints faced by members of the Congress right after the war.

Background: The Outbreak of World War II

Through the most part of the term of the Second National Assembly (1938–1941), the First Congress' immediate predecessor, international conflicts that led to World War II began to take shape. As early as 1940, the National Assembly already declared a state of national emergency

State of emergency

A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...

to address the escalating emergency conditions of the times. It gave Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon

Manuel L. Quezon

Manuel Luis Quezón y Molina served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944. He was the first Filipino to head a government of the Philippines...

extensive emergency powers to meet the worsening conditions. All preparations culminated when Japan attacked the Philippines a few hours after bombing Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

on December 8, 1941. The National Assembly lost no time in enacting substantive legislations, diverting all remaining funds for national defense

Defense (military)

Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...

purposes, and declaring a state of total emergency. It furthered the broad emergency powers already granted to the President, such as the transfer of the seat of government and the extension of the effectivity of lapsing laws.

In its last act as a legislative body, the National Assembly certified the results of the November 1941 elections where Quezon and Osmeña were re-elected as president and vice president, respectively, along with the legislators who were to compose the First Commonwealth Congress. The Congress replaced the unicameral National Assembly as the legislative branch of government. It was due to meet for the first time in January 1942 had the war not intervene.

Due to the transfer of the Philippine Government to Washington, D.C. in 1942, and the three-year occupation (1942–1945) of the Philippines by Japanese forces, the First Congress could not be convened. In its place, the Japanese formed a puppet National Assembly that passed laws dictated by the Japanese Imperial Government in Tokyo.

The Japanese-sponsored Philippine Republic, under José P. Laurel

Jose P. Laurel

José Paciano Laurel y García was the president of the Republic of the Philippines, a Japanese-sponsored administration during World War II, from 1943 to 1945...

as president, ended in late February 1945 when the Philippines was liberated by the returning American forces in the Pacific.

Reestablishment of Commonwealth Government

Upon the reestablishment of the Philippine Commonwealth in Manila in 1945, General Douglas MacArthur exerted political pressure on President Sergio Osmeña

Sergio Osmeña

to convene Congress in formal session. Osmeña was reluctant to do so not only because of the huge expense associated with the functioning of Congress, but more so because he feared that its two houses would be controlled by legislators who had collaborated with the Japanese when the Philippine Government was on exile in Washington, D.C.

On May 24, 1945, Osmeña offered Roxas the position of Resident Commissioner to the U.S. Roxas by then was known to be actively seeking the right opportunity to launch his presidential ambition with the backing of General Douglas MacArthur

Douglas MacArthur

General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...

, Quezon's former military adviser and considered as the "Liberator of the Philippines." Two days later, Roxas declined Osmeña's offer and instead asked his supporters to announce his candidacy for president at a time when there was no designated date to hold a national election. The First Commonwealth Congress thus provided the vehicle for Roxas' primacy in Philippine postwar politics and government. It also paved the way for the permanent division of the old Nacionalista Party into two warring factions. Its so-called Liberal Wing or faction (later Liberal Party) nominated Roxas for the presidency in 1946.

The First Commonwealth Congress Convened

In late May 1945, President Osmeña was persuaded to call the First Commonwealth Congress to special session in order to tackle the most pressing issues of postwar rehabilitation and regain constitutional normalcy. Regular sessions could not be held by then, as the Constitution provided that these should take place for 100 days beginning on the fourth Monday of January of each year.

With the old Legislative Building in ruins, the First Commonwealth Congress met in a former Japanese schoolhouse located at 949 Lepanto Street, Manila, beside the headquarters of Gota de Leche. Most senators and congressmen could not hold office there due to limited space and facilities, which were alloted to the officers of the two chambers and the congressional staff. The Senate and the House of Representatives shared the same session hall (the school's former auditorium), with the House meeting in the morning and the Senate using the hall in the evening. The Senate eventually took temporary quarters in the badly damaged Manila City Hall in May 1946. The House remained at Lepanto Street until it moved, with the Senate, to the newly rebuilt Congress building in 1950.

At the first special session of Congress on June 9, 1945, Senators Manuel Roxas

Manuel Roxas

and Elpidio Quirino

Elpidio Quirino

were elected as Senate President and Senate President Pro-Tempore, respectively. The House of Representatives elected for its Speaker Iloilo Rep. Jose C. Zulueta and for Speaker Pro-Tempore, Pangasinan Rep. Prospero Sanidad. Only 16 out of 24 senators and 75 of 98 congressmen, who were elected in 1941, attended the five special sessions called by the President. In the Senate alone, Senator Daniel Maramba had died of natural causes immediately before the outbreak of World War II.
Senator Jose Ozamiz was executed by the Japanese.
Senators Antonio de las Alas, Vicente Madrigal, Quintin Paredes, Claro M. Recto, Proceso E. Sebastian, Emiliano T. Tirona and Jose Yulo were arrested by the US Army's Counter-Intelligence Corps (CIC) because they had worked in various capacities under the Japanese-sponsored Philippine Government. Alas, Madrigal, Paredes, Recto, Sebastian, Tirona and Yulo had been part of Laurel's Cabinet. The Senate held a lottery to determine who among its members would serve up to April 1946 and November 1947, since senators serve staggered terms under the Constitution.

The First Commonwealth Congress initially convened with 13 senators and 70 congressmen. Three more senators reported and five congressmen joined their colleagues in later sessions. Among the members of the First Commonwealth Congress was Representative Elisa Ochoa from Agusan, the first woman ever elected to the Philippine national legislature.

The two chambers of Congress assembled in joint session in the afternoon of June 9, 1945 to hear President Osmeña deliver his state of the nation address (photo above left). Osmeña expectedly dealt with several proposed legislation to rebuild the financial infrastructure of the Philippines and restore government institutions. He also tried to address issues concerning the terms of office of officials elected in 1941 just before the Japanese invasion.Because of the severe damage caused to property by the war, the legislators who were hurriedly called to Manila in June 1945, including Roxas and Quirino, had no appropriate attire for the congressional sessions other than their army khaki uniforms. President Osmeña ordered two pairs of sharkskin suits to be purchased by the government for each of the legislators around the time of the opening of Congress.

A few foreign dignitaries also addressed the joint session in the next six months. This included U.S. High Commissioner Paul V. McNutt

Paul V. McNutt

Paul Vories McNutt was an American politician who served as the 34th Governor of Indiana during the Great Depression, high commissioner to the Philippines, administrator of the Federal Security Agency, chairman of the War Manpower Commission and ambassador to the Philippines.-Family and...

and General MacArthur who received a commendation from the Congress. In his memorable address before its joint session on July 9, 1945 (left photo), MacArthur said:

"Since the beginning of the time men have crusaded for freedom and for equality. It was this passion for liberty which inspired the architects of my own government to proclaim so immutably and so beautifully that 'all men are created equal' and 'that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights � that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.' On such rights rest our basic concept of human freedom, in defense of which we have fought and still continue to fight on the battle fields of the world. These rights are the very antithesis to the totalitarian doctrine which seeks to regiment the people and control the human will as the price for presumed efficiency in government."

Accomplishments and Controversies

The First Commonwealth Congress passed a total of 48 laws in five special sessions: Commonwealth Act Nos. 672 to 720.

Heeding Osmeña's urgent call during the opening session of Congress, the first legislative measure it enacted was Commonwealth Act No. 672 which restored the Philippine National Bank

Philippine National Bank

The Philippine National Bank is one of the largest banks in the Philippines, ranking fourth in terms of assets...

and organized its financial capital. The viability of the Philippine National Bank was critical to the resuscitation of the Philippine Commonwealth after the war.

One major financial legislation passed by Congress stirred controversy in the U.S. and was eventually vetoed by President Harry Truman despite its approval by Presiden Osmeña. Commonwealth House Bill No. 647 (Senate Bill No. 51), titled "An Act Governing the Payment of Monetary Obligations Incurred or Contracted Prior to and During the Japanese Invasion of the Philippines and for Other Purposes", was passed by both houses of Congress on the last day of its last session, December 20, 1945. It was signed into law by President Osmeña on January 18, 1946. The law provided for the validation of payments made in Japanese "mickey mouse" money during the period of enemy occupation. However, U.S. High Commissioner McNutt objected to it and asked Truman to exercise his final veto on this currency measure. President Truman's accompanying veto letter explained his disapproval, to wit:

"The Commonwealth Act which I am now disapproving would give legal approval to transactions and payments made under the brutal Japanese regime, without regard for the actual value of the Japanese-backed currency in which such payments were made. It would give official sanction to acts by Japanese officials in forcing the liquidation of businesses and accounts of loyal Filipinos, Americans, and allies who were imprisoned by the Japanese. It would have a most harmful effect on the Philippine financial structure which it is our hope and desire to see strengthened in preparation for independence. It would work to the benefit of persons who did business with and under the Japanese to the prejudice of those who were loyal both to the Philippine Commonwealth and to the United States Government."

The First Commonwealth Congress also tackled the contentious and divisive issue of Filipino collaboration with the Japanese. Osmeña had proposed a bill to set up a special court for this purpose. Roxas initially objected to it, fearing the loss of critical support from his political allies who were accused of, or imprisoned for, collaboration. After extensive congressional debates, legislation was passed in August 1945 creating the People's Court and the Office of Special Prosecutors to investigate and decide on collaboration charges on an individual basis. In September 1945, the CIC presented the Filipinos who were accused of having collaborated with, or given aid to, the Japanese so that they may be tried before the People's Court. Included were prominent senators and congressmen who had been active in the puppet government under Laurel. These legislators were unable to attend the five special sessions of the First Commownealth Congress.

The collaboration issue continued to haunt Congress. Another currency-related legislation passed by the First Commonwealth Congress was held up for a few weeks at the White House before President Truman signed it into law in November 1945. As Truman noted in his letter to President Osmeña, his approval of the original House Bill No. 176, which provides for a reduction of the required gold coverage of Philippine currency, has been delayed "due to the fact that there have been persistent charges that a sizable fraction of the Members of the Philippine Congress had been guilty of collaboration with the enemy, and I have not wanted my approval of the act to be distorted into approval of collaboration."

The so-called Backpay Law of 1945 turned out to be the most controversial measure passed by the postwar Congress. The law authorized the Philippine Treasury, which was already financially crippled, to pay back salaries and wages to members of Congress and their staff to cover the three years of Japanese occupuation. In effect, the Backpay Law compensated the legislators for service that they never rendered during the war years. The passage of this measure was met with public indignation. It led to a political backlash and many members of Congress lost their seats during the national elections held in April 1946.

The rivalry between Osmeña and Roxas intensified in the Commission on Appointments—a congressional body, consisting of 12 senators and 12 congressmen, which was responsible for confirming presidential nominations. The Commission was chaired by Roxas himself as senate president. In that powerful position, Roxas managed to sit on (bypass) the nominations of some of Osmeña's most important political advisers and supporters. The Commission also confirmed Osmeña's nominations for chief justice and associate justices of the Supreme Court, except for one, Justice Jose A. Espiritu, whose credentials were questioned before the Commission. Espiritu became ths shortest-serving member of the Supreme Court. He returned as dean of the U.P. College of Law in September 1945, after serving in an ad interim capacity as associate justice for only two months.

The heat of presidential politics had also divided loyalties in the postwar Congress, where its members failed to decide on the date of elections for president, vice-president, 16 senators and 98 congressmen. President Osmeña thus requested the U.S. Congress to intervene and set the date of the first post-war elections. The U.S. Congress, in a joint resolution issued in November 1945, called for national elections to take place no later than April 30, 1946 and for the Second Congress to convene not later than May 28, 1946. On January 4, 1946, the First Commonwealth Congress met for the last time to discuss the April 1946 presidential elections—the first since 1941.

The 1946 elections catapulted the newly formed Liberal Party to power for the first time. Senate President Roxas and Senate President Pro Tempore Quirino were respectively elected as first President and Vice-President of the Republic of the Philippines, which gained independence from the U.S. on July 4, 1946. Erswhile Senate Floor Leader Melecio Arranz became President Pro Tempore of the Senate, while House of Representatives Majority Leader Eugenio Perez became its Speaker when the new Congress convened in May 1946. Speaker Zulueta, on the other hand, joined the Roxas Cabinet as Secretary of the Interior and later ran and won as senator. Many other members of the First Commonwealth Congress held top positions in the newly born republic.

Other Vital Legislation

Commonwealth Act No. 672 – Restoration of the Capital of the Philippine National Bank
Philippine National Bank
The Philippine National Bank is one of the largest banks in the Philippines, ranking fourth in terms of assets...
Commonwealth Act No. 675 – Immediate Payment of the Salaries of Deceased Filipino Soldiers Including Recognized Guerrillas
Commonwealth Act No. 676 – Authorization of the Advance Bonus Payment for the Three-Month Salaries of Government Officials and Employees
Commonwealth Act No. 681 – Rehabilitation of the Philippine Anti-Tuberculosis Society
Commonwealth Act No. 685 – Rehabilitation of the Quezon Institute
Commonwealth Act No. 686 – Advance Bonus to Public School Teachers and Low-Salaried Government Employees
Commonwealth Act No. 689 – Creation of the Philippine Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
Commonwealth Act No. 710 – Appropriations for the Payment of Pensions of Retired Government Personnel
Commonwealth Act No. 714 – Appropriations for the Payment of Pensions of Retired Philippine Constabulary Personnel
Commonwealth Act No. 716 – Penalization of Illegal Increase of Rentals

Special Sessions

First Special Session: June 9 – July 13, 1945
Second Special Session: August 14 – September 17, 1945
Third Special Session: September 22 – October 2, 1945
Fourth Special Session: November – December 2, 1945
Fifth Special Session: December 14 – December 20, 1945

Senate

President of the Senate:

Manuel Roxas

(NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

)

Senate President Pro-Tempore:

Elpidio Quirino

(NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

)

Majority Floor Leader:

Melecio Arranz (NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

)

House of Representatives

Speaker of the House of Representatives:

Jose C. Zulueta (NP-Liberal Wing

Liberal Party (Philippines)

The Liberal Party of the Philippines is a liberal party in the Philippines, founded by then senators Senate President Manuel Roxas, Senate President Pro-Tempore Elpidio Quirino, and former 9th Senatorial District Senator Jose Avelino, on November 24, 1945 by a breakaway Liberal group from the...

, 1st District Iloilo)

Speaker Pro-Tempore:

Prospero Sanidad (NP-Liberal Wing

Liberal Party (Philippines)

, 2nd District Ilocos Sur)

Majority Floor Leader:

Eugenio P. Perez (NP-Liberal Wing

Liberal Party (Philippines)

, 2nd District Pangasinan)

Senate

{| width=100%
|- valign ="top"
|width=50%|
{| class="wikitable" width=70%
|-
! colspan=5 | First to Fifth Special Session
|-
! colspan=2 |Senator
! Party
! Term Start
! Term End
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Antonio de las Alas
|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1946
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Alauya Alonto
|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1947
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Melecio Arranz

Melecio Arranz

Melecio Arranz was born in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.He was an Ilocano Politician-Early Life and Carrer:He obtained his degree of Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Sto...

|NP

Liberal Party (Philippines)

|1941
|1946
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Nicolas Buendia
|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1946
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Mariano Jesus Cuenco

Mariano Jesús Cuenco

Mariano Jesús Diosomito Cuenco was a Filipino Cebuano politician and writer.-Early life:He was born in Carmen, Cebu on January 16, 1888, to Mariano Albao Cuenco and Remedios López Diosomito. He studied at the Colegio de San Carlos of Cebu, where he graduated in 1904 with a degree in Bachelor of...

|NP

Liberal Party (Philippines)

|1941
|1946
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Ramon J. Fernandez
|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1946
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Carlos P. Garcia

Carlos P. Garcia

Carlos Polistico García was a Filipino teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official, political economist and guerrilla leader...

|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1946
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Pedro C. Hernaez
|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1947
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Domingo Imperial
|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1946
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Vicente Madrigral
|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1947
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Daniel Maramba
|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1946
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Jose F. Ozamiz

José Ozámiz

José Ozámiz y Fortich was a Filipino politician from Mindanao. His parents were Jenaro Ozámiz from Navarre, Spain and Basilisa Fortich, a Filipino mestizo of Spanish and Cebuano ancestry...

|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1946
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Quintin Paredes

Quintín Paredes

Quintín B. Paredes was a Filipino lawyer, politician, and statesman.He was born in Bangued, Abra, Philippines in 1884 to Juan Felix Paredes and Regine Babila.-Education and early career:...

|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1946
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Elpidio Quirino

Elpidio Quirino

|NP

Liberal Party (Philippines)

|1941
|1946
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Vicente Rama
|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1947
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Esteban dela Rama
|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1947
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Claro M. Recto

Claro M. Recto

Claro Mayo Recto, Jr. , was a Filipino politician, jurist, poet and one of the foremost statesmen of his generation...

|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1947
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Eulogio A. Rodriguez, Sr.

Eulogio Rodriguez

Eulogio "Amang" Adona Rodríguez, Sr. was a Filipino politician, the longest serving Senate President after Manuel L...

|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1947
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Manuel Roxas

Manuel Roxas

|NP

Liberal Party (Philippines)

|1941
|1946
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Proceso E. Sebastian
|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1947
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Emiliano T. Tirona
|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1947
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Ramon Torres
|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1946
|-
|bgcolor=#98fb98|
|Jose Yulo

Jose Yulo

José Yulo was the Chief Justice of the Philippines during the Japanese Occupation and was Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives from 1939 until the World War II started in 1941.-Career:...

|NP

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

|1941
|1946
|-
|}

Party affiliation at the time of the convening of Congress.

NP – Nacionalista Party

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

Manuel Roxas was elected as the Last President of the Commonwealth Republic in the 1946 Elections

Philippine general election, 1946

The Elections for the members of the Senate held on April 23, 1946 .-Background:Soon after the reconstitution of the Commonwealth Government in 1945 Senators Manuel Roxas, Elpidio Quirino and their allies called for the holding on an early national election to choose the president and vice...

Elpidio Quirino were elected as the Last Vice-President of the Commonwealth Republic in the 1946 Elections

Philippine general election, 1946

Daniel Maramba died on December 28, 1941 and Jose Ozamiz

José Ozámiz

José Ozámiz y Fortich was a Filipino politician from Mindanao. His parents were Jenaro Ozámiz from Navarre, Spain and Basilisa Fortich, a Filipino mestizo of Spanish and Cebuano ancestry...

was executed on February 11, 1944 during the war.

The following were detained because of collaboration charges with the Japanese: Antonio de las Alas, Vicente Madrigal, Quintin Paredes

Quintín Paredes

Quintín B. Paredes was a Filipino lawyer, politician, and statesman.He was born in Bangued, Abra, Philippines in 1884 to Juan Felix Paredes and Regine Babila.-Education and early career:...

,
Claro M. Recto

Claro M. Recto

Claro Mayo Recto, Jr. , was a Filipino politician, jurist, poet and one of the foremost statesmen of his generation...

, Proceso E. Sebastian, Emiliano Tria Tirona, Jose Yulo

Jose Yulo

House of Representatives

{| class="wikitable" width=45%
|-
!Province
!District

Legislative districts of the Philippines

The Legislative districts of the Philippines are the division are the representations of the Philippines' provinces and cities in the House of Representatives. The first composition of legislative districts were enshrined in the Ordinance appended to the Constitution...

!Representative

House of Representatives of the Philippines

The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...

Elisa Ochoa

Elisa Rosales Ochoa was the first woman elected to the Philippine Congress.-Background:Ochoa was born in Butuan, in what was then the province of Agusan.Her parents were Canuto Rosales and Ramona Villanueva, In 1915, she became a licensed nurse after completing her studies at the Philippine...

|-
|rowspan=3 valign="top"|Albay

Albay

Albay is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Legazpi City and the province borders Camarines Sur to the north and Sorsogon to the south. Also to the northeast is Lagonoy Gulf....

|1st
|Isabelo V. Binamira
|-
|2nd
|Jose S. Valenciano
|-
|3rd
|Marcial O. Rañola
|-
|Antique

Antique province

Antique is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is San Jose and is located at the western portion of Panay Island, bordering Aklan, Capiz, and Iloilo to the east. Antique faces the Sulu Sea to the west....

|Lone
|Emigdio Nietes
|-
|Bataan

Bataan

Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and it is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north...

|Lone
|Antonio G. Llamas
|-
|Batanes

Batanes

The Province of Batanes , also called the Batanes Islands, is a Philippine province comprising ten islands that are located in the Luzon Strait between the islands of Luzon and Taiwan...

Batangas

Batangas is a first class province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON region. Its capital is Batangas City and it is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna to the north and Quezon to the east. Across the Verde Island Passages to the south is the...

|1st
|Miguel Tolentino
|-
|2nd
|Eusebio Orense
|-
|3rd
|José B. Laurel, Jr.

Jose Laurel, Jr.

José Bayani "Pepito" Laurel, Jr. , also known as José B. Laurel, Jr., was a Filipino politician who was elected twice as Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines...

|-
|rowspan=4 valign="top"|Bohol

Bohol

Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...

|rowspan=2|1st
|-
|Genaro Visarra
|-
|2nd
|Simeon G. Toribio
|-
|3rd
|Margarito E. Revilles
|-
|Bukidnon

Bukidnon

Bukidnon is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Malaybalay City. The province borders, clockwise starting from the north, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Norte, Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, and Lanao del Norte.Bukidnon is...

Bulacan

Bulacan , officially called the Province of Bulacan or simply Bulacan Province, is a first class province of the Republic of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Region in the island of Luzon, north of Manila , and part of the Metro...

|1st
|Leon Valencia
|-
|2nd
|Antonio Villarama
|-
|rowspan=2 valign="top"|Cagayan

Cagayan

Cagayan , the "Land of Smiling Beauty", is a province of the Philippines in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Tuguegarao City and is located at the northeastern corner of the island of Luzon. Cagayan also includes the Babuyan Islands to the north. The province borders Ilocos Norte...

|1st
|Nicanor Carag
|-
|2nd
|Miguel P. Pio
|-
|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:...

|Lone

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...

|Wenceslao Q. Vinzons

Wenceslao Vinzons

Wenceslao Quinito Vinzons was a Filipino politician and a leader of the armed resistance against the Japanese occupying forces during World War II...

|-
|rowspan=2 valign="top"|Camarines Sur

Camarines Sur

Camarines Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders Camarines Norte and Quezon to the north, and Albay to the south...

|1st
|Jaime M. Reyes
|-
|2nd
|Jose Fuentebella
|-
|rowspan=3 valign="top"|Capiz

Capiz

Capiz is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Roxas City and is located at the northeastern portion of Panay Island, bordering Aklan and Antique to the west, and Iloilo to the south. Capiz faces the Sibuyan Sea to the north...

|1st
|Ramon A. Arnaldo
|-
|2nd
|Jose A. Dorado
|-
|3rd
|Jose M. Reyes
|-
|Cavite

Cavite

Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...

|Lone
|Justiniano S. Montano

Justiniano S. Montano

Justiniano Solis Montano, Sr. was a Filipino politician who was elected for one term to the Philippine Senate and for multiple terms as a member of the House of Representatives.-Background:...

|-
|rowspan=7 valign="top"|Cebu
|1st
|Celestino Rodriguez
|-
|2nd
|Pedro Lopez
|-
|3rd
|Maximino Noel
|-
|4th
|Agustin Y. Kintanar
|-
|5th
|Miguel Cuenco
|-
|6th
|Nicolas Rafols
|-
|7th
|Jose Rodriguez
|-
|Cotabato
|Lone
|Ugalingan Piang
|-
|Davao
|Lone

Legislative district of Davao

The Legislative District of Davao, was the representation of the Province of Davao in the Philippine National Assembly from 1935 to 1941 and the Philippine House of Representatives from 1941 to 1965, when Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental—the provinces it was divided into on...

|Juan Sarenas
|-
|rowspan=2 valign="top"|Ilocos Norte

Ilocos Norte

Ilocos Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Its capital is Laoag City and is located at the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra and Ilocos Sur to the south...

|1st
|Vicente T. Lazo
|-
|2nd
|Rubio Conrado
|-
|rowspan=2 valign="top"|Ilocos Sur

Ilocos Sur

Ilocos Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Vigan City, located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the provincial capital...

|1st
|Jesus Serrano
|-
|2nd
|Prospero Sanidad
|-
|rowspan=5 valign="top"|Iloilo
|1st
|Jose C. Zulueta

Jose Zulueta

Jose Zulueta was a Philippine senator who was elected as Senate President. He is also a renowned scholar, bibliographer, lawyer, librarian, and journalist who documented the military activities during the Philippine revolution.- Early life :...

|-
|2nd
|Oscar Ledesma
|-
|3rd
|Tiburcio Lutero
|-
|4th
|Ceferino de los Santos
|-
|5th
|Juan Borra
|-
|Isabela

Isabela province

Isabela is the second largest province of the Philippines next to Palawan. It is located in the Cagayan Valley Region in Luzon. Its capital is Ilagan and borders, clockwise from the south, Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Kalinga, and Cagayan...

La Unión

La Union or La Unión may refer to:-Colombia:*La Unión, Antioquia*La Unión, Nariño*La Unión, Sucre*La Unión, Valle del Cauca-Peru:*La Unión Province, Peru...

|1st
|Francisco Ortega
|-
|2nd
|Enrique Rimando
|-
|rowspan=2 valign="top"|Laguna

Laguna province

Laguna is a province of the Philippines found in the CALABARZON region in Luzon. Its capital is Santa Cruz and the province is located southeast of Metro Manila, south of the province of Rizal, west of Quezon, north of Batangas and east of Cavite. Laguna almost completely surrounds Laguna de Bay,...

|1st
|Conrado M. Potenciano
|-
|2nd
|Estanislao A. Fernandez, Jr.

Estanislao Fernandez

Estanislao A. Fernandez, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. In college, hedistinguished himself as a debator and orator...

|-
|Lanao

Lanao (province)

Lanao Province was one of the former provinces of the Philippines from 1914 to 1959. Today the province comprises of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur.-History:...

|Lone

Legislative district of Lanao

The lone Legislative District of Lanao was the representation of the Province of Lanao in the Philippine National Assembly from 1935 to 1946 and the Philippine House of Representatives from 1946 to 1961, when Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur—the provinces it was divided into on May 22, 1959,...

|Salvador T. Lluch
|-
|rowspan=5 valign="top"|Leyte
|1st
|Mateo Canonoy
|-
|2nd
|Dominador M. Tan
|-
|3rd
|Tomas Oppus
|-
|4th
|Filomeno Montejo
|-
|5th
|Jose Ma. Veloso
|-
|rowspan=2 valign="top"|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,...

|1st
|Engracio Clemeña
|-
|2nd
|Alfonso E. Mendoza
|-
|Marinduque

Marinduque

In 1945, combined American and Philippine Commonwealth troops attacked from the Japanese Troops liberated to the Battle of Marinduque in the Second World War.-Archaeology:...

|Lone

Legislative district of Marinduque

The Legislative District of Marinduque is the current representation of the Province of Marinduque in the Philippine House of Representatives....

|Cecilio A. Maneja
|-
|Masbate

Masbate

Masbate is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. Its capital is Masbate City and consists of three major islands: Masbate, Ticao and Burias.-History:...

|Lone
|Emilio B. Espinosa
|-
|Mindoro

Mindoro

Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...

|Lone
|Raúl T. Leuterio
|-
|Misamis Occidental

Misamis Occidental

Misamis Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Oroquieta City...

|Lone
|Eugenio Stuart Del Rosario
|-
|Misamis Oriental

Misamis Oriental

Misamis Oriental is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital and provincial center is Cagayan de Oro City...

Mountain Province

Mountain Province is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Bontoc and borders, clockwise from the south, Ifugao, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Kalinga, and Isabela.Mountain Province is sometimes incorrectly named Mountain in some...

|1st
|George K. Tait
|-
|2nd
|Ramon P. Mitra
|-
|3rd
|Gregorio Morrero
|-
|rowspan=3 valign="top"|Negros Occidental

Negros Occidental

Negros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half...

|1st
|Enrique B. Magalona

Enrique B. Magalona

Enrique B. Magalona was a former Senator of the Philippines, and the grandfather of the late Francis Magalona.-Early life:Enrique B. Magalona was born in Saravia, Negros Occidental on November 5, 1891 to Vicente Magalona Y Ledesma and Agustin Barrera y Majarocan.-Personal life:He was married by...

|-
|2nd
|Aguedo Gonzaga
|-
|3rd
|Raymundo Vargas
|-
|rowspan=2 valign="top"|Negros Oriental

Negros Oriental

Negros Oriental is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. It occupies the south-eastern half of the island of Negros, with Negros Occidental comprising the north-western half. It also includes Apo Island — a popular dive site for both local and foreign tourists...

|1st
|Julian L. Teves
|-
|2nd
|Jose E. Romero

Jose Romero

Jose Romero , is a former Australian rules footballer.Romero, who was recruited from Jacana, played in the VFL/AFL for both the North Melbourne FC and Western Bulldogs. Debuting in 1987 with the Kangaroos, Romero played 109 games for the club before moving to the Western Bulldogs, debuting in 1995...

|-
|rowspan=2 valign="top"|Nueva Ecija

Nueva Ecija

Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Palayan City...

|1st
|Jose Cando
|-
|2nd
|Gabriel Belmonte
|-
|Nueva Vizcaya

Nueva Vizcaya

Nueva Vizcaya is a province of the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Bayombong. It is bordered by, clockwise from the north, Ifugao, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, and Benguet.-History, people and culture:The name was derived from the...

|Lone

Legislative district of Nueva Vizcaya

The lone Legislative District of Nueva Vizcaya is the representation of the Province of Nueva Vizcaya in the Philippine House of Representatives. Nueva Vizcaya was first represented in the Philippine Assembly in 1916, which included the present-day Quirino Province in 1972...

|Leon Cabarroguis
|-
|Palawan

Palawan

Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...

Pampanga

Pampanga is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Pampanga is bordered by the provinces of Bataan and Zambales to the west, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija to the north, and Bulacan to the southeast...

|1st
|Eligio Lagman
|-
|2nd
|Jose P. Fausto
|-
|rowspan=5 valign="top"|Pangasinan

Pangasinan

Pangasinan is a province of the Republic of the Philippines. The provincial capital is Lingayen. Pangasinan is located on the west central and peripheral area of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, with the total land area being 5,368.82 square kilometers . According to the latest census,...

|1st
|Jose P. Bengson
|-
|2nd
|Eugenio Perez

Eugenio Perez

|-
|3rd
|Pascual Beltran
|-
|4th
|Cipriano P. Primicias, Sr.
|-
|5th
|Narciso Ramos

Narciso Ramos

Narciso Rueca Ramos was a journalist, lawyer, assemblyman and ambassador. He was the father of former Philippine President Fidel Ramos.-Early life:Born to Placido Ramos and Ramona Rueca in Asingan, Pangasinan on November 11, 1900, Narciso R...

|-
|rowspan=2 valign="top"|Rizal
|1st
|Francisco Sevilla
|-
|2nd
|Emilio de la Paz
|-
|Romblon

Romblon

Romblon is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region. It lies south of Marinduque and Quezon, east of Mindoro, north of Aklan and Capiz, and west of Masbate. Its capital is also named Romblon....

|Lone

Legislative district of Romblon

The Legislative District of Romblon is the representation of the Province of Romblon in the Philippine House of Representatives. From 1907 to 1919 Romblon was represented as part of the third district of Capiz...

|Leonardo Festin
|-
|rowspan=3 valign="top"|Samar

Samar

Samar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland...

|1st
|Decoroso Rosales
|-
|2nd
|Pedro R. Artache
|-
|3rd
|Felix Opimo
|-
|rowspan=2 valign="top"|Sorsogon

Sorsogon

Sorsogon is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region; it is the southernmost province in Luzon and is subdivided into fourteen municipalities and one city. Its capital is Sorsogon City and borders the province of Albay to the north...

|1st
|Norberto Roque
|-
|2nd
|Teodoro Vera
|-
|Sulu
|Lone
|Ombra Amilbangsa
|-
|Surigao
|Lone

Legislative district of Surigao

The lone Legislative District of Surigao was the representation of the province of Surigao in the Philippine Assembly from 1907 to 1935, Philippine National Assembly from 1935 to 1941 and the Philippine House of Representatives from 1941 until 1961, when Surigao del Norte and Surigao del...

|Ricardo Navarro
|-
|rowspan=2 valign="top"|Tarlac

Tarlac

Tarlac is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Luzon Island. Its capital is Tarlac City. Tarlac borders Pampanga to the south, Nueva Ecija to the east, Pangasinan to the north, and Zambales to the west...

|1st
|Jose Cojuangco
|-
|2nd
|Benigno Aquino, Sr.

Benigno Aquino, Sr.

Benigno Simeon Aquino, Sr. , also known as Benigno S. Aquino or Benigno S. Aquino, Sr., was a Filipino politician who served as Speaker of the Second Philippine Republic National Assembly from 1943 to 1944....

|-
|rowspan=2 valign="top"|Tayabas
|1st
|Pedro Insua
|-
|2nd
|Francisco Lavides
|-
|Zambales

Zambales

Zambales is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Iba. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north, Tarlac and Pampanga to the east, and Bataan to the south. The province lies between the South China Sea and the Zambales Mountains. With a land area of...

|Lone
|Valentin Afable
|-
|Zamboanga

Zamboanga (province)

Zamboanga is a former province of the Philippines located in the western region of the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.-Creation:During the time of the United States' purchase of the Philippines of 1898, the Republic of Zamboanga had its own independence and jurisdiction on what is now...

|Lone
|Matias Ranillo
|-
|}

75 out of the 98 elected representatives attended the Special Sessions of the First Commonwealth Congress. 11 had died since 1941, 31 held positions in the Japanese-sponsored government, of whom 17 were arrested and detained by the US Army's Counter-Intelligence Corps

Counter Intelligence Corps

The Counter Intelligence Corps was a World War II and early Cold War intelligence agency within the United States Army. Its role was taken over by the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps in 1961 and, in 1967, by the U.S. Army Intelligence Agency...

(CIC).

Executed on July 15, 1942 during the war.

Detained by the US Army's Counter-Intelligence Corps

Counter Intelligence Corps

(CIC).

Significance of the First Commonwealth Congress

Background: The Outbreak of World War II

Reestablishment of Commonwealth Government

The First Commonwealth Congress Convened

Accomplishments and Controversies

Other Vital Legislation

Special Sessions

Senate

House of Representatives

Senate

House of Representatives

Further reading

See also