Settling issues of leadership
When I read about the President distancing himself from the recent change of leadership in the Senate and admitting that he knew that something was brewing, I recalled the experience of Ferdinand E. Marcos regarding leadership in the House of Representatives in January 1970.
On Jan. 8, 1970, the president listed down the pressing matters on his plate: economic development, social reforms, counter-insurgency, limiting flights of foreign carriers, doing away with transit visas, security for tourists visiting the Philippines, including certification of taxicab companies, hydrofoil service to Corregidor, loans for mining and new export industries, etc. Then he noted, in his diary, that both Speaker Jose B. Laurel and Senate President Gil Puyat asked for his support accepting the fact that “There is only one elector we have to campaign for and win—and he is in Malacañang.” He met with former speaker Cornelio Villareal in Malacañang on Jan. 9 and agreed on a Nacionalista House Members caucus on Jan. 13 when the president planned “to interview the different blocs and see who is supported by the majority … we must not allow the Nacionalista Party to split up on these rivalries. We must keep our old cohesion. So I also intend to call Senate President Pro Tempore Jose Roy, rival of [Gil] Puyat for Presidency of the Senate.”
Three days before the caucus, on Jan. 10, Marcos wrote:
Article continues after this advertisement“This is the day of many decisions. Laurel is beginning to buy votes for the Speakership. He has called a caucus on Sunday for this purpose … The groups supporting ex-Speaker Villareal for speakership have asked me to remain neutral in the speakership fight and will take this stand in the caucus next Tuesday.
The reasons they ([Nicanor] Yñiguez who has withdrawn at my prompting, [Emilio R.] Niling Espinosa, [Jose] Joe Alberto, [Floro] Floring Crisologo) give for opposing Laurel is that Banjo Laurel, mayor of Tanauan and son of the Speaker, has been withdrawing funds from the House, signed by [Salvador] Encinas, chairman of the Committee on accounts and monopolizes all contracts of the House.”
On Monday, Jan. 12, the day after the caucus called by Laurel, Marcos noted that the Villareal bloc had obtained 67 signatures, “If I do not help Pepito Laurel, he will lose the speakership fight.” The Malacañang caucus set for the next day was postponed in deference to the funeral of Mayor Jaime “Banjo” Laurel who perished in a helicopter crash the weekend before. The matter of House leadership was just one of his worries at this time. There were intelligence reports on a plot to assassinate him and both he and his wife had pressing health problems.
Article continues after this advertisementAt the Malacañang caucus, on Jan. 14, 1970, Marcos whipped the party members in line:
“Have told the congressmen we should keep [Jose B.] Laurel as Speaker in the whole morning and afternoon caucus. All the workers for the junta were for Laurel after I told them I was.
“But the junta and I, first, had to announce for the consumption of the public that we could not intervene in purely internal matters of the House, unless the House members themselves asked us to personally intervene.
“After this, I called a conference of Cong. Ramon Durano, Nicanor Yniguez, [Mohammad] Ali Dimaporo, [Constantino] Uging Navarro, [Jose] Joe Alberto, [Emilio R.] Miling Espinosa, and [Floro] Floring Crisologo to tell them that inasmuch as they are the leaders of Ex-Speaker [Cornelio] Villareal, it was their duty to inform him of my decision and that the most ideal situation would be for Villareal to withdraw. Then I asked Villareal and Laurel to come into the conference room and notified each in turn of my efforts to prevent an open fight.
“A committee of six, three from Laurel’s side (Majority Floor Leader [Marcelino] Veloso, Asst. Floor Leader [Rogaciano] Mercado and [James] Chiongbian) then three on Villareal’s side ([Nicanor] Yniguez, [Jose] Alberto and Ali Dimaporo) was organized to prepare amendments to the rules of the House.”
A week later after another meeting in Malacañang, Villareal and Laurel reached an understanding that allowed Laurel to remain speaker. At 11:55 p.m. of Jan. 20, 1970, Marcos wrote: “Settled the Speakership problem this morning by calling Ex-Speaker [Cornelio] Villareal, then Speaker [Jose B.] Laurel to Maharlika [Hall]. Villareal graciously withdrew but his supporters swear that if Laurel does not remain loyal to me, they will topple him. Met the congressmen who all wanted releases and appointments.”
Marcos also settled leadership of the Senate following a four-hour caucus of Nacionalista senators at Bahay Pangarap on Jan. 22, 1970: “I have been able to settle the Senate Presidency at 3:30 p.m. [Gil] Puyat remains and [Jose] Roy becomes Executive Vice President of the Nacionalista Party as well as President Pro Tempore. [Arturo] Tolentino remains as majority floor leader.”
In principle, the executive and the legislative branches of government are separate and coequal, but in reality party politics and personal relations lie under the radar. Ferdinand Marcos’ daily jottings were an account of his days and nights, what was the present for him has become history for us, something to draw and learn from.
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