National Assembly of the Philippines
Encyclopedia
The National Assembly of the Philippines refers to the legislature
of the Philippine Commonwealth
from 1935 to 1941, and the Second Philippine Republic
. The National Assembly of the Commonwealth of the Philippines was created under the 1935 Constitution, which served as the Philippines' fundamental law
to prepare it for its independence from the United States. However, at the advent of the Second World War in the Pacific
, anticipating an imminent Japanese occupation, the Commonwealth government went into exile to the United States. It left behind a skeletal bureaucracy whose officials were made by the Japanese to form a government. In an attempt to win the loyalty of the Filipino
s, the Japanese established a nominally
independent Republic of the Philippines, under the 1943 Constitution, which also provided for a National Assembly as its legislative body. The Philippine Republic established under Japanese auspices were only recognized mainly by the Axis powers
.
of the United States had the bicameral Philippine Legislature
as its legislative body. The Philippine Legislature was established in 1907 and reorganized in 1916, pursuant to a U.S. federal law known as the Jones Law
. The Jones Law provided for a Senate
and a House of Representatives
, whose membership were elected except for a few, which were appointed by the U.S. Governor-General
, without the need for any confirmation. The Governor-General being the chief executive of the territory also exercised the power to veto any of the Philippine Legislature's legislations.
In 1934, Filipino
politicians obtained the passage of a Philippine independence law known as the Tydings-McDuffie Act
. It was crafted to prepare the Philippines for its eventual independence after a ten-year period. The Tydings-McDuffie Act also enabled them to draft and adopt a constitution
, subject to the concurrence of the U.S. President.
In the constitutional convention that followed, a unicameral National Assembly was adopted. This came after the failure of the constitutional convention delegates to agree on the setup of the bicameral system that was favored by the majority. It also set the ceiling on its membership to a maximum of 120, that were to be elected every three years; similar to what the Jones Law had provided. It entitled every province
, regardless of its population to have at least one representative. The convention likewise provided for the direct election of representatives from the non-predominantly Christian areas previously appointed by the U.S. Governor-General.
and Vice President
. The Philippine Commonwealth was inaugurated on November 15, 1935 and thus the term of the elected officials began.
The National Assembly first met officially on November 25, ten days after the Commonwealth government was inaugurated and elected Gil M. Montilla of Negros Occidental
as its Speaker
. It soon organized itself into 3 commissions and 40 standing committees, when it adopted its rules on December 6.
and finance
however, still required the approval of the U.S. President. Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon
, who had practical control of the National Assembly, addressed the body on its inaugural session and laid-out his administration's priorities and legislative agenda. He was able to secure the passage of important legislations without much opposition, after he diluted the powers of the Speaker to a mere presiding officer
. Among the first of such measures were the National Defense Act of 1935
, which created the Philippine Army
; the creation of the National Economic Council
, to serve as an advisory body on economic matters; and the creation of the Court of Appeals
. Several economic measures were also tackled, including the impending difficulties on the phase out of free trade
between the Philippines and the United States after independence, setting a minimum wage
, and the imposition of new taxes among others.
Most of the bills enacted were drafted by the executive branch and the few that originated from the members themselves were often vetoed by Quezon. In the sessions of the First National Assembly in 1936, 236 bills were passed, of which 25 bills were vetoed; while on its 1938 session, 44 out of 105 bills were vetoed due to practical defects, including one which proposed to make religious instruction compulsory in schools – clearly violating the constitutional provision on the separation of Church and State. The sporadic vetoing of its legislations prompted the "rubber stamp
" legislature to criticize Quezon's policies. It then began to assert its independence from the executive. In line with this, the National Assembly went on to reinstate the inherent powers of the Speaker.
It was also in this period that Filipino women
were finally extended universal suffrage
. In a plebiscite held on April 30, 1937, 447,725 women voted favorably for it, against 44,307.
The second elections for the National Assembly were held on November 8, 1938, under a new law that allowed block voting, which favored the governing Nacionalista Party
. As expected all the 98 seats of the National Assembly went to the Nacionalistas. Jose Yulo
who was Quezon's Secretary of Justice from 1934 to 1938, was elected Speaker.
The Second National Assembly embarked on passing legislations strengthening the economy, unfortunately the cloud of the Second World War loomed over the horizon. Certain laws passed by the First National Assembly were modified or repealed to meet existing realities. A controversial immigration law
that set an annual limit of 50 immigrants per country, which affected mostly Chinese
and Japanese nationals escaping the Sino-Japanese War
was passed in 1940. Since the law bordered on foreign relations it required the approval of the U.S. President, which was nevertheless obtained. When the result of the 1939 census
was published, the National Assembly updated the apportionment of legislative districts, which became the basis for the 1941 elections
.
, composed of a Senate
and a House of Representatives
. Unlike the Jones Law Senate (1916 to 1935), whereby two senators were elected from each of the twelve senatorial districts the Philippines was divided into, the 1940 Amendments prescribed that all the 24 senators were to be elected at-large
. They were to serve for a staggered 6-year term, so that one-third of the Senate membership is replaced every two years. Similar to the National Assembly, the House of Representatives had a cap of 120 members. The amendments which were contained under Resolution No. 38 were adopted by the National Assembly on September 15, 1939, and were ratified in a plebiscite on June 18, 1940. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt
approved it on December 2, 1940, effectively paving the way for the abolition of the National Assembly after the incumbency of those elected in 1938 on December 30, 1941.
to address the escalating emergency conditions of the times. It gave the President extensive emergency powers to meet the worsening conditions. All preparations culminated when Japan attacked the Philippines a few hours after attacking Pearl Harbor
and started bombing its cities on December 8, 1941. The National Assembly lost no time in enacting substantive legislations, diverting all remaining funds for national defense
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 1941 elections where Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio Osmeña
were reelected as president and vice president, respectively.
on January 2, 1942 and soon established the Japanese Military Administration
to replace the exiled Commonwealth government. It utilized the existing administrative structure already in place and coerced high-ranking Commonwealth officials left behind to form a government. In order to win greater support for Japan and its war effort, no less than Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tōjō
promised the Filipinos independence earlier than the Tydings-McDuffie Act had scheduled. But before it could be realized a constitution would have to be adopted. The Preparatory Commission for Philippine Independence drafted what came to be known as the 1943 Constitution. It provided for a unicameral National Assembly that was to be composed of provincial governors and city mayors as ex-officio members and an elected representative from each province and city who were to serve for a term of three years. Though created subordinate to the executive, the National Assembly had the power to elect the President, who in turn appoints the provincial governors and city mayors, ensuring him control of the legislature.
, chairman of the Philippine Executive Commission
addressed the National Assembly at its pre-independence session on September 25, 1943 where KALIBAPI
Director-General Benigno Aquino, Sr.
of Tarlac
, who served as Agriculture Secretary
in the Commonwealth government was elected Speaker of the National Assembly. On the other hand, former Commonwealth Justice Secretary
and Acting Supreme Court Chief Justice José P. Laurel
was elected President of the soon-to-be-independent Republic of the Philippines
. The National Assembly also went to organize itself into 66 committees.
Philippine independence was eventually proclaimed on October 14, 1943. Laurel called the National Assembly into a special session from October 17 to 23, when it passed resolutions expressing gratitude to the Japanese for its grant of independence. The National Assembly met for its first regular session from November 25, 1943 to February 2, 1944. It passed a total of 66 bills and 23 resolutions, ranging from the creation of new government agencies to address the existing problems and conditions during the war and other problems which had not been addressed during the Commonwealth period. Since the Philippines now acted as an independent state, the National Assembly created the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and a Central Bank. It also extended additional powers to the President, similar to those granted to Quezon by the Commonwealth National Assembly.
had already begun their campaign to liberate the Philippines from Japan with its first attack on Manila
on September 21, 1944, prompting the Japanese to demand the Philippines' declaration of war
against the United States. It was only heeded after a compromise was made that no Filipino would be conscripted into the Japanese military. Realizing that such a declaration was not binding until ratified by the National Assembly, the Japanese also demanded that the National Assembly be convened to ratify it, but Laurel remained steadfast on not to convoke the National Assembly into a special session. Two days after the surrender of Japan
to the Allied Forces on August 15, 1945, and with the Commonwealth government already restored in Manila, Laurel who was by then in prison in Japan dissolved the Second Philippine Republic. Meanwhile, all the laws passed by the Second Republic's National Assembly were invalidated by a proclamation of Gen. Douglas MacArthur on October 23, 1944 just right after reestablishing the Commonwealth government in Palo, Leyte
.
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...
of the Philippine 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...
from 1935 to 1941, and the Second Philippine Republic
Second Philippine Republic
The Second Philippine Republic, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , was a state in the Philippines established on October 14, 1943 under Japanese occupation....
. The National Assembly of the Commonwealth of the Philippines was created under the 1935 Constitution, which served as the Philippines' fundamental law
Fundamental law
Fundamental law may refer to:* Organic law, in particular,** Constitution, in particular,*** The Russian Constitution of 1906.*** The German Grundgesetz ....
to prepare it for its independence from the United States. However, at the advent of the Second World War in the Pacific
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, anticipating an imminent Japanese occupation, the Commonwealth government went into exile to the United States. It left behind a skeletal bureaucracy whose officials were made by the Japanese to form a government. In an attempt to win the loyalty of the Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
s, the Japanese established a nominally
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
independent Republic of the Philippines, under the 1943 Constitution, which also provided for a National Assembly as its legislative body. The Philippine Republic established under Japanese auspices were only recognized mainly by the Axis powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
.
Establishment
Prior to 1935, the Philippine Islands, an insular areaInsular area
An insular area is a United States territory, that is neither a part of one of the fifty U.S. states nor the District of Columbia, the federal district of the United States...
of the United States had the bicameral Philippine Legislature
Philippine Legislature
The Philippine Legislature was the legislative body of the Philippines during the earlier part U.S. colonial administration. It was a bicameral legislature, with the Philippine Commission, headed by the U.S. Governor General serving as the upper house, and the Philippine Assembly serving as the...
as its legislative body. The Philippine Legislature was established in 1907 and reorganized in 1916, pursuant to a U.S. federal law known as the Jones Law
Jones Law (Philippines)
The Jones Law or the Act of Congress of August 29, 1916, also known as the Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916, replaced the Philippine Organic Act of 1902 that earlier served as a constitution for the Philippine Islands. The Philippines was ceded by Spain to the United States in 1898 and a civil...
. The Jones Law provided for a 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 a House of Representatives
House of Representatives of the Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...
, whose membership were elected except for a few, which were appointed by the U.S. Governor-General
Governor-General of the Philippines
The Governor-General of the Philippines was the title of the government executive during the colonial period of the Philippines, governed mainly by Spain and the United States, and briefly by Great Britain, from 1565 to 1935....
, without the need for any confirmation. The Governor-General being the chief executive of the territory also exercised the power to veto any of the Philippine Legislature's legislations.
In 1934, Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
politicians obtained the passage of a Philippine independence law known as the Tydings-McDuffie Act
Tydings-McDuffie Act
The Tydings-McDuffie Act approved on March 24, 1934 was a United States federal law which provided for self-government of the Philippines and for Filipino independence after a period of ten years. It was authored by Maryland Senator Millard E...
. It was crafted to prepare the Philippines for its eventual independence after a ten-year period. The Tydings-McDuffie Act also enabled them to draft and adopt a constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, subject to the concurrence of the U.S. President.
In the constitutional convention that followed, a unicameral National Assembly was adopted. This came after the failure of the constitutional convention delegates to agree on the setup of the bicameral system that was favored by the majority. It also set the ceiling on its membership to a maximum of 120, that were to be elected every three years; similar to what the Jones Law had provided. It entitled every province
Provinces of the Philippines
The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 80 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are autonomous from any provincial...
, regardless of its population to have at least one representative. The convention likewise provided for the direct election of representatives from the non-predominantly Christian areas previously appointed by the U.S. Governor-General.
Commonwealth National Assembly
After the 1935 Constitution was ratified, elections were held on September 17, 1935 for the 98 members of the National Assembly; simultaneous with the elections for the Commonwealth PresidentPresident of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
and Vice President
Vice President of the Philippines
-Description:The Vice-President is the first in the Philippine line of succession, assuming the Presidency upon the death, resignation, or removal by impeachment and subsequent conviction of the incumbent. The position was abolished by Martial Law in 1972, and was not included in the original text...
. The Philippine Commonwealth was inaugurated on November 15, 1935 and thus the term of the elected officials began.
The National Assembly first met officially on November 25, ten days after the Commonwealth government was inaugurated and elected Gil M. Montilla of 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...
as its Speaker
Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives
The Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines is the presiding officer of the lower house of Congress, the House of Representatives....
. It soon organized itself into 3 commissions and 40 standing committees, when it adopted its rules on December 6.
Legislations
The assembly had the task of passing legislations to prepare the Philippines for its eventual independence. Certain legislations dealing with foreign relationsForeign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
and finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
however, still required the approval of the U.S. President. Commonwealth 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...
, who had practical control of the National Assembly, addressed the body on its inaugural session and laid-out his administration's priorities and legislative agenda. He was able to secure the passage of important legislations without much opposition, after he diluted the powers of the Speaker to a mere presiding officer
Presiding Officer
In a general sense, presiding officer is synonymous with chairman.* The presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives is the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives...
. Among the first of such measures were the National Defense Act of 1935
National Defense Act of 1935
The National Defense Act of 1935 was passed by the Philippine National Assembly on December 21, 1935. The purpose of this act was to create an independent Philippine Army, this was interrupted by World War II.-Provisions:...
, which created the Philippine Army
Philippine Army
The Philippine Army is the ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Tagalog is Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas. On July 23, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III appointed Maj. Gen...
; the creation of the National Economic Council
National Economic Council
The National Economic Council of the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering economic policy matters, separate from matters relating to domestic policy, which are the domain of the Domestic Policy Council...
, to serve as an advisory body on economic matters; and the creation of the Court of Appeals
Philippine Court of Appeals
The Court of Appeals of the Philippines is the Philippines' second highest judicial court, just after the Supreme Court. The court consists of 68 Associate Justices and 1 Presiding Justice...
. Several economic measures were also tackled, including the impending difficulties on the phase out of free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
between the Philippines and the United States after independence, setting a minimum wage
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
, and the imposition of new taxes among others.
Most of the bills enacted were drafted by the executive branch and the few that originated from the members themselves were often vetoed by Quezon. In the sessions of the First National Assembly in 1936, 236 bills were passed, of which 25 bills were vetoed; while on its 1938 session, 44 out of 105 bills were vetoed due to practical defects, including one which proposed to make religious instruction compulsory in schools – clearly violating the constitutional provision on the separation of Church and State. The sporadic vetoing of its legislations prompted the "rubber stamp
Rubber stamp (politics)
A rubber stamp, as a political metaphor, refers to a person or institution with considerable de jure power but little de facto power; one that rarely disagrees with more powerful organs....
" legislature to criticize Quezon's policies. It then began to assert its independence from the executive. In line with this, the National Assembly went on to reinstate the inherent powers of the Speaker.
It was also in this period that Filipino women
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
were finally extended universal suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
. In a plebiscite held on April 30, 1937, 447,725 women voted favorably for it, against 44,307.
The second elections for the National Assembly were held on November 8, 1938, under a new law that allowed block voting, which favored the governing 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...
. As expected all the 98 seats of the National Assembly went to the Nacionalistas. 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:...
who was Quezon's Secretary of Justice from 1934 to 1938, was elected Speaker.
The Second National Assembly embarked on passing legislations strengthening the economy, unfortunately the cloud of the Second World War loomed over the horizon. Certain laws passed by the First National Assembly were modified or repealed to meet existing realities. A controversial immigration law
Immigration law
Immigration law refers to national government policies which control the phenomenon of immigration to their country.Immigraton law, regarding foreign citizens, is related to nationality law, which governs the legal status of people, in matters such as citizenship...
that set an annual limit of 50 immigrants per country, which affected mostly Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Japanese nationals escaping the Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
was passed in 1940. Since the law bordered on foreign relations it required the approval of the U.S. President, which was nevertheless obtained. When the result of the 1939 census
Demographics of the Philippines
Demographics of the Philippines are records of human population in the country, including its population density, ethnicity, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population. According to the 2007 Census, the population of the Philippines was...
was published, the National Assembly updated the apportionment of legislative districts, which became the basis for the 1941 elections
Philippine general election, 1941
Presidential, legislative and local elections were held on November 11, 1941 in the Philippines. Incumbent President Manuel Luis Quezon won an unprecedented second partial term as President of the Philippines via a landslide. His running mate, Vice President Sergio Osmeña also won via landslide...
.
Restoration of the bicameral legislature
Quezon was barred by the 1935 Constitution to serve as president beyond 1941. He orchestrated a set of amendments to the constitution that included restoring the bicameral legislature. It provided for the replacement of the National Assembly by the Congress of the PhilippinesCongress of the Philippines
The Congress of the Philippines is the national legislature of the Republic of the Philippines. It is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate , and the House of Representatives although commonly in the Philippines the term congress refers to the latter.The Senate is composed of 24 senators half...
, composed of a 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 a House of Representatives
House of Representatives of the Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...
. Unlike the Jones Law Senate (1916 to 1935), whereby two senators were elected from each of the twelve senatorial districts the Philippines was divided into, the 1940 Amendments prescribed that all the 24 senators were to be elected at-large
At-Large
At-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...
. They were to serve for a staggered 6-year term, so that one-third of the Senate membership is replaced every two years. Similar to the National Assembly, the House of Representatives had a cap of 120 members. The amendments which were contained under Resolution No. 38 were adopted by the National Assembly on September 15, 1939, and were ratified in a plebiscite on June 18, 1940. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
approved it on December 2, 1940, effectively paving the way for the abolition of the National Assembly after the incumbency of those elected in 1938 on December 30, 1941.
Outbreak of the Second World War
Through the most part of the life of the Second National Assembly international conflicts that led to the Second World War began to take shape. As early as 1940, the National Assembly already declared a state of national emergencyState 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 the President extensive emergency powers to meet the worsening conditions. All preparations culminated when Japan attacked the Philippines a few hours after attacking 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...
and started bombing its cities 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 1941 elections where Manuel L. Quezon and 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...
were reelected as president and vice president, respectively.
Second Republic National Assembly
The Commonwealth government was exiled in Washington, D.C. upon the invitation of Pres. Roosevelt. The Japanese took over ManilaManila
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,...
on January 2, 1942 and soon established the Japanese Military Administration
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
to replace the exiled Commonwealth government. It utilized the existing administrative structure already in place and coerced high-ranking Commonwealth officials left behind to form a government. In order to win greater support for Japan and its war effort, no less than Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tōjō
Hideki Tōjō
Hideki Tōjō was a general of the Imperial Japanese Army , the leader of the Taisei Yokusankai, and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during most of World War II, from 17 October 1941 to 22 July 1944...
promised the Filipinos independence earlier than the Tydings-McDuffie Act had scheduled. But before it could be realized a constitution would have to be adopted. The Preparatory Commission for Philippine Independence drafted what came to be known as the 1943 Constitution. It provided for a unicameral National Assembly that was to be composed of provincial governors and city mayors as ex-officio members and an elected representative from each province and city who were to serve for a term of three years. Though created subordinate to the executive, the National Assembly had the power to elect the President, who in turn appoints the provincial governors and city mayors, ensuring him control of the legislature.
National Assembly convenes
Jorge B. VargasJorge B. Vargas
Jorge B. Vargas was a lawyer and youth advocate born in Bago City, Negros Occidental, Philippines. He graduated valedictorian from Negros Occidental High School in 1909 and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1911 and a Bachelor of Law degree with honors in 1914, both from the University of the...
, chairman of the Philippine Executive Commission
Philippine Executive Commission
The Philippine Executive Commission or PEC was established on January of 1942 with Jorge B. Vargas as its first Chairman. The PEC was created as the temporary care-taker government of the Greater Manila area and eventually of the whole Philippines during the Japanese occupation of the country...
addressed the National Assembly at its pre-independence session on September 25, 1943 where KALIBAPI
KALIBAPI
The Kapisanan ng Paglilingkod sa Bagong Pilipinas , or KALIBAPI, was a Filipino political party that served as the sole party of state during the Japanese occupation...
Director-General 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....
of 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...
, who served as Agriculture Secretary
Department of Agriculture (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of Agriculture , abbreviated as DA, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for boosting the income of farmers as well as reducing the incidence of poverty in the rural sector, as stipulated inthe Government's Medium Term Philippine...
in the Commonwealth government was elected Speaker of the National Assembly. On the other hand, former Commonwealth Justice Secretary
Department of Justice (Philippines)
The Department of Justice , abbreviated as DOJ, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for upholding the rule of law in the Philippines...
and Acting Supreme Court Chief Justice 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...
was elected President of the soon-to-be-independent Republic of the Philippines
Second Philippine Republic
The Second Philippine Republic, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , was a state in the Philippines established on October 14, 1943 under Japanese occupation....
. The National Assembly also went to organize itself into 66 committees.
Philippine independence was eventually proclaimed on October 14, 1943. Laurel called the National Assembly into a special session from October 17 to 23, when it passed resolutions expressing gratitude to the Japanese for its grant of independence. The National Assembly met for its first regular session from November 25, 1943 to February 2, 1944. It passed a total of 66 bills and 23 resolutions, ranging from the creation of new government agencies to address the existing problems and conditions during the war and other problems which had not been addressed during the Commonwealth period. Since the Philippines now acted as an independent state, the National Assembly created the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Department of Foreign Affairs (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs is the executive department of the Philippine government tasked to contribute to the enhancement of national security and the protection of the territorial integrity and national sovereignty, to participate in the national endeavor of sustaining...
and a Central Bank. It also extended additional powers to the President, similar to those granted to Quezon by the Commonwealth National Assembly.
Dissolution
When it ended its session on February 2, 1944, the National Assembly was never to meet again. It was scheduled to meet for its second regular session on October 20, 1944, but American forcesMilitary of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
had already begun their campaign to liberate the Philippines from Japan with its first attack on 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,...
on September 21, 1944, prompting the Japanese to demand the Philippines' declaration of war
Declaration of war
A declaration of war is a formal act by which one nation goes to war against another. The declaration is a performative speech act by an authorized party of a national government in order to create a state of war between two or more states.The legality of who is competent to declare war varies...
against the United States. It was only heeded after a compromise was made that no Filipino would be conscripted into the Japanese military. Realizing that such a declaration was not binding until ratified by the National Assembly, the Japanese also demanded that the National Assembly be convened to ratify it, but Laurel remained steadfast on not to convoke the National Assembly into a special session. Two days after the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
to the Allied Forces on August 15, 1945, and with the Commonwealth government already restored in Manila, Laurel who was by then in prison in Japan dissolved the Second Philippine Republic. Meanwhile, all the laws passed by the Second Republic's National Assembly were invalidated by a proclamation of Gen. Douglas MacArthur on October 23, 1944 just right after reestablishing the Commonwealth government in Palo, Leyte
Palo, Leyte
Palo is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 47,982 people in 9,272 households.-Barangays:Palo is politically subdivided into 33 barangays.* Anahaway* Arado* Baras...
.
See also
- Congress of the PhilippinesCongress of the PhilippinesThe Congress of the Philippines is the national legislature of the Republic of the Philippines. It is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate , and the House of Representatives although commonly in the Philippines the term congress refers to the latter.The Senate is composed of 24 senators half...
- Commonwealth of the PhilippinesCommonwealth of the PhilippinesThe 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...
- Second Philippine RepublicSecond Philippine RepublicThe Second Philippine Republic, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , was a state in the Philippines established on October 14, 1943 under Japanese occupation....