Remembering President Manuel L. Quezon

Today is an important day. Do you remember the great orator, flamboyant and high-tempered handsome mestizo who said: “I prefer a government run like hell by Filipinos to a government run like heaven by Americans"?

Today is the 140th birth anniversary of President Manuel Luis Quezon, popularly known as MLQ. Born on August 19, 1878 in Baler, Quezon was 20 years old when President Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed independence on June 12, 1898. On September 16, 1935, MLQ defeated his former boss, Aguinaldo in the first Philippine Commonwealth elections, getting 67 percent of the total popular votes, compared to Aguinaldo's 18 percent and Gregorio Aglipay's 14 percent.

Cebuanos recall MLQ with fond and ambivalent memories because he was the political partner of Don Sergio Osmeña Sr., Mayor Tomas' grandfather, a Cebuano who become president after MLQ died in exile on August 1, 1944, in Saranac Lake, State of New York. During their partnership MLQ shone while Osmeña always stayed behind. Osmeña was the wind beneath MLQ’s wings, even sacrificing his own political career in the name of preserving national unity. They finished Law together in UST. Osmeña placed second in the Bar and MLQ fourth. MLQ got all the glory, Osmeña did all the work.

In 1935 elections, their team won overwhelmingly. MLQ dominated Luzon and Osmeña delivered Visayas and Mindanao votes. MLQ appointed Osmeña to his Cabinet as the first Secretary of Education. MLQ was the father of social justice, having pioneered labor and social laws, the agrarian reform program, the adoption of our national language, and women’s suffrage.

MLQ married his first-degree cousin, Doña Aurora. His daughter Zenaida Avancena was 94 years old in 2015 when MLQ was posthumously awarded for helping Jews during the Holocaust. This is why Filipinos need no visa to visit Israel. MLQ was also awarded the Legion of Honor by France with the rank of officer, the Order of the Aztec by Mexico, the Order of the Grand Cross by Belgium, the Orden de la Republica by Spain, and the Order of the Brilliant Jade by China. MLQ was a very colorful man rumored to be fond of women. He was fond of cursing in Spanish and uttering unprintable expletives like President Duterte. He was hot-tempered and a very fiery orator who could speak Spanish like a Spaniard, Tagalog like Balagtas, and English like Thomas Jefferson. MLQ was a very engaging and passionate man.

Today, we should reflect and remember a president who called a spade a spade. He spoke with great eloquence and liked women. President Duterte had many precedents in MLQ. Both were provincianos, lawyers, lovers, and always angry at many things, like corruption. For sure, like MLQ, President Digong does not like a government run like heaven by Americans.