The first Philippine Assembly, the precursor of the present House of Representatives, was inaugurated on October 16, 1907, or exactly 113 years ago today. The historic event was held at the Grand Opera House in Manila, which still stands to this day. The convening of the Philippine Assembly was a landmark moment in our political development. This legislative body was composed entirely of Filipinos who were chosen by their compatriots in an election held on July 30, 1907. Having a Filipino lawmaking body to enact laws for themselves had rekindled our people’s dreams for self-rule and aspirations for complete and genuine autonomy. It marked the beginning of Filipino participation in self-governance, which eventually led to Philippine independence from the American colonizers.
Sergio Osmeña Sr. of Cebu was elected as its first Speaker while Manuel L. Quezon of Tayabas served as its first Majority Leader. Vicente Singson was chosen as its first Minority Leader. The Philippine Assembly was the lower chamber of our legislative body until the Jones Law took effect in 1916, which converted the Philippine Assembly into the House of Representatives. The Philippine Commission that acted as the Upper Chamber was also replaced by the Philippine Senate. This formalized the bicameral nature of our legislature. Eventually, Osmeña ran for the Senate in 1922 and after his election he served as the Senate Majority Leader under Quezon. At this point in our history, Quezon had become the highest serving and most powerful Filipino in the government, a position that Osmeña undisputedly held until Quezon headed the Senate. There was no term-sharing between the two political heavyweights in Philippine politics despite their fierce rivalry. As compleat statesmen, the two even partnered and ran for President and Vice President with Quezon as the standard bearer in the Commonwealth elections in 1935. Osmeña was succeeded by Manuel A. Roxas of Capiz, who served as Speaker from 1922 to 1933.
The creation of the Philippine Assembly was the handiwork of then Governor General William Howard Taft, who believed that a lawmaking body made up of Filipinos would not only strengthen Philippine-American relations but would eventually prepare the Philippines for self-government. Although President Theodore Roosevelt, who had succeeded the assassinated President, William McKinley, had reservations about granting the Filipinos’ greater autonomy, he heeded Taft’s recommendation to form a lawmaking body composed entirely of Filipinos. Osmeña and Quezon were both 29 years old when they were elected to the Philippine Assembly, but the two and the other assemblymen proved equal to the delicate task and they gained the respect of the Americans. Before the Philippine Senate was established, just like any bicameral legislature, the Philippine Assembly made up entirely of Filipinos had conflicts with the Philippine Commission headed by the American Governor General and composed mostly of American officials appointed by the US President. This was avoided when the Jones Act of 1916 abolished the Philippine Commission and installed the Senate made up entirely of Filipinos just like the Philippine Assembly, which constituted the Lower House. The two chambers became the Philippine Legislature, our country’s legislative body, from 1916 until it was replaced by the National Assembly following the establishment of the Commonwealth Government in the Philippines in 1935.
Without fear of contradiction, the Philippine Assembly and the pre-war House of Representatives lived up to their promise and expectations of the people, which they ably represented. The leaders and members had maintained the dignity of the august assembly. It had delivered the much needed and relevant legislative measures, which laid down the foundations of an emerging nation. Two former Speakers before the war, Osmeña and Manuel A. Roxas, became President of our country. No Speaker elected after the war has achieved such an honor although some have tried. Pre-war Speakers who followed Osmeña and Roxas, Quintin Paredes of Abra and Jose Yulo of Negros Occidental, were honorable gentlemen and capable legislators who continued to serve our country with great distinction after the war. Paredes served as Senate President in 1952 while Yulo ran unsuccessfully for President of the Philippines in 1957. Other illustrious members had served the pre-war Lower House and became distinguished officials of our country later. They were men of principles, conviction and integrity who deserved the title “Honorable” appended to their names, unlike the present crop, many of whom are unworthy of their role as lawmakers. For instance, the current controversy hounding the House of Representatives involving the speakership row between Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Representative Lord Allan Velasco has further despoiled the once venerable institution of whatever glamour is left of it. We need the moral leadership and statesmanship of an Osmeña or Roxas to steer the Lower House clear of personal political interest and narrow partisanship. This is the only way we can bring back the glory days of the old House of Representatives and make its members worthy of our people’s trust.