Quezon's "A government run like hell by Filipinos"
Today is the 139th birth anniversary of Manuel Luis Quezon, from Baler, Tayabas (now called Aurora province). He was really the second president of the republic after General Emilio Aguinaldo from Kawit, Cavite. The third president was our own Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Quezon dominated Philippine politics in the 30's and 40's. He was aggressive, assertive, outspoken, and very dynamic. He always outshone our soft-spoken, laidback, patient but more brilliant Don Sergio. Osmeña placed second in the Bar Examinations in 1903. Quezon only placed fourth place in the same exams. They studied law together at the University of Santo Tomas. Quezon was fire, Osmeña was water. They were a good tandem but it was always Osmeña who sacrificed a lot for Quezon and for the country.
It was Quezon who insisted the Philippines should be granted immediate and complete independence by the Americans, while many others believed Filipinos were not yet ready for self-governance. There were many Americans and Filipinos alike who believed the Filipinos needed more time to learn the fundamentals of democracy and the basics of running a free government. But Quezon backed up by Osmeña, insisted: "I prefer a government run like hell by Filipinos than a government run like heaven by Americans." And so, we got it, I mean the independence, not necessary the hell. When Quezon died in Saranac Lake, Osmeña, the ever patient bridesmaid, now became the bride, when fate intervened.
But Osmeña's administration was short-lived, barely two years. He was the presumptive only candidate of the Nacionalista Party, but there was an ambitious Ilonggo who could not wait, Don Manuel Roxas from Capiz. Roxas lost to Osmeña in the NP convention. But soon thereafter, he founded the Liberal Party and challenged Osmeña, and the rest is history Osmeña only delivered one speech and he lost by a few thousand votes, one of the slimmest plurality in Philippine electoral history. From then on, no Visayan, except Carlos P. Garcia from Bohol, ever won the presidency which was clinched by Luzon politicians: Elpidio Quirino, Ramon Magsaysay, then Garcia followed by Diosdado Macapagal, and then Marcos.
The country was indeed run like hell by politicians from Luzon. Twenty years of repression under Marcos, six years of coups d'etats under President Cory, six years of selling and privatizing military camps and government corporations under FVR from Pangasinan, two years of comedy of errors under Erap, followed by ten years of many questionable transactions under GMA. Then another six years of anti-poor, anti-labor, and anti-working class administration of an illustrado who was an incompetent commander-in-chief, inept and unprepared like his late mother. PNoy claimed credit for an amazing economic growth that only benefitted taipans, and tycoons, an economic growth whose fruits never trickled down to the poorest of the poor. That is why we finally elected a president from the south who hates the imperialism of Manila and wants our government to be transformed to federal. It is time for us to set ourselves free from the government run like hell by trapos and become a federal run like heaven by true leaders of the people. Federalism is the only way to honor Quezon and Osmeña.
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