Don Sergio S. Osmeña Sr. is betrayed by his Nacionalista senators in the 1946 election
Don Sergio Suico Osmeña Sr. became successor president on August 1, 1944 after the death of President Manuel L. Quezon in the United States. Don Sergio was also installed on the steps of the Leyte Provincial Capitol on October 20, 1944 by General Douglas MacArthur as President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.
However, while the country was recovering from the destruction of World War II under the leadership of President Osmeña, two of his partymates lobbied for the holding of presidential election after he reconvened the Philippine Senate. General MacArthur would have opposed the diabolical design, yet the defender of the Philippines was sent to Japan to ensure the recovery of the vanquished Japanese Empire. Don Sergio initially opposed the plan of senators Manuel Acuna Roxas and Elpidio Quirino, the members of his Nacionalista Party.
The holding of an election while the country is being rebuilt is contrary to logic and patriotism, it was not the opportune time, it was meant to sabotage the war recovery efforts of Don Sergio. Senators Roxas and Quirino sought the help of their friends from the American Senate who passed a resolution calling for an election. Don Sergio gentlemanly answered the challenge. He then stirred the Philippine Congress which enacted Commonwealth Act No. 725 setting the Presidential Election on April 23, 1946. Don Sergio announced his candidacy on January 3, 1946, with senators Roxas and Quirino being outvoted by the convention, this resulted in their leaving the party and creating the so-called Liberal Wing of the Nacionalista Party.
Roxas won against the Grand Old Man of Cebu. Roxas earned 1,303,392 votes as against Osmeña's 1,129,996 with 45.71 percent share of the votes cast for president in the entire country. But the people of Visayas did not abandon Don Sergio; the Cebuanos delivered 98,700 votes as against Roxas 53,848 votes. In Cebu City, Don Sergio got 15,569 votes while Roxas got 8,759 votes. The Boholanos voted for Don Sergio with a vote of 40,258 and Roxas only got 30,492. In Davao, Don Sergio won against Roxas, with 19,229 votes against the latter with 11,896 votes. It was the Province of Bukidnon that gave the biggest votes for Don Sergio with 92,451 votes and a measly vote of 3,011 for Roxas. The betrayal of Roxas and Quirino of the Nacionalista Party and its founder and mentor, Don Sergio, gave birth to the party later known as the "Liberal Party."
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