The term “unselfish politician” may sound like an oxymoron but the truth is that such a paradox existed in the political life of our nation. In fact, we observed the 143rd birth anniversary of this extraordinary man yesterday, September 9. He is Sergio Osmeña Sr., better known as the “Grand Old Man of Cebu.” This exemplary politician is not only a model of dignity, serenity, temperance and wisdom but most of all of selflessness when others in government are driven by personal aggrandizement and selfish interest.
Osmeña’s long and distinguished service to our country was marked by self-sacrifice. He was self-effacing, modest and unassuming unlike Manuel L. Quezon who was imperious, explosive and temperamental. But he was not timid in asserting our rights as a people. At the start of the American colonization, he founded a fearless newspaper in 1900, El Nuevo Dia (The New Day), which advocated freedom for the Filipinos. He wrote and published patriotic articles that kept alive the spirit of liberty, which our people briefly enjoyed under the blessings of independence declared on June 12, 1898 in Kawit, Cavite. Undaunted by the strict military censorship imposed by the American authorities, he promoted strong nationalism among his readers. The passage of the Sedition Act of 1902 had curtailed all forms of seditious attack against American colonialism. Eventually, the newspaper was banned and shut down after nearly three years of publication.
Osmeña was the foremost Filipino leader in the early American colonial government when he was elected as the Speaker of the First Philippine Assembly in October 1907 at the age of 29. Former Gov. General William Howard Taft, who later served as the President of the United Assembly, had remarked after witnessing Osmeña sworn into office: “He is a young man, not 30, but of great ability, shrewdness, high ideals, and yet very practical in his methods of dealing with men and things.” Osmeña used these qualities to effectively serve his people. As the highest elected Filipino in the government, his power and prestige were only overshadowed by the American governor general. Meanwhile, he remained the president of the Nacionalista Party, a political banner that he co-founded with Quezon and other Filipino leaders. He adopted immediate and complete independence of the Philippines as its political platform, a crusade that he vigorously espoused in his patriotic paper, El Nuevo Dia. For this, some had regarded him as the Father of Filipino Nationalism. But not given to aplomb, Osmeña did not claim credit for it. But the fact is, as early as June 19, 1908, Osmeña had declared our people’s desire and readiness for independence in a speech he gave in a session of the Philippine Assembly: “Gentlemen of the Assembly… on my responsibility as Speaker of this House, I declare solemnly before God and before the world that…our people aspire for independence; that they consider themselves capable of conducting an ordered life, efficacious for themselves and for others in the concert of free and civilized nations; and that we believe that if at this instant the people of the United States should decide the case of the Filipinos in favor of their liberty, they would, upon assuming all the consequent responsibilities, be able to comply with their duties to themselves and to others, without detriment to liberty, justice and right.”
Osmeña stayed in his post until 1916 when the Jones Law was approved, which promised independence to the Philippines. The enactment of this law by the US Congress was a tribute to Osmeña’s leadership. Under him, the Filipinos had demonstrated that they were capable of self-government. This law also created a bicameral legislature consisting of the House of Representatives (HoR) and the Senate. He chose to stay in the lower House and was elected as Speaker. Quezon, who was his deputy in the Philippine Assembly, ran for senator and was elected Senate President. As the head of the Upper Chamber, Quezon challenged Osmeña who was then the president of Nacionalista Party and charged him with unipersonal style of leadership. Quezon formed his own party and called it “Partido Nacionalista Colectivista,” or collective leadership. In the election of 1922, both Quezon and Osmeña ran for senator with their respective slates of candidates. A third party, Partido Democrata of Juan Sumulong, also took part in the elections. Not one of the 3 contending parties won the majority in either House. The feuding Osmeña and Quezon resolved their differences and consolidated their forces against Sumulong. So as not to derail his party’s program for immediate and complete independence, Osmeña agreed for Quezon to keep the Senate presidency. Manuel Roxas, a Quezon ally, was elected to take Osmeña’s former post as Speaker of the HoR. Osmeña, a newly elected senator, became Senate President Pro Tempore under Quezon. Osmeña lost the supreme leadership of Filipinos serving the colonial government but he won our people’s respect as a champion of national unity. And this was not the full measure of Osmeña’s unselfish leadership since a greater test awaited him.
VP Osmeña could have succeeded Quezon as President of the Philippines on November 15, 1943 since the Philippine Constitution at that time placed an eight-year limit on the term of the president. The American authorities knew about this and legal experts of both countries agreed that Osmeña by operation of law would replace Quezon. Because of the war, Quezon did not want to step down although he was already sick, and on a number of occasion Osmeña had acted as president when Quezon was indisposed. Once more, Osmeña, not wanting to divide the country at a crucial time in our history, acted to preserve the unity of the Filipino leader while on exile abroad. Instead of exercising his constitutional right, Osmeña asked the US Congress to approve a resolution waiving the eight-year limit and allow Quezon to stay in office until the end of the war. This act of self-sacrifice on the part of Osmeña has no equal in our political history. In my book, Osmeña is our country’s first statesman and no one comes close to him in this department. His patriotism was second to none and he was happy to subordinate his personal interests for the common weal. It’s tragic that Osmeña’s exemplary example is lost on our present crop of politicians. They profess themselves as patriots yet they will do anything to capture the presidency, or worse, circumvent the Constitution to keep it.