1946 Philippine presidential election

The 1946 Philippine presidential and vice presidential elections were held on April 23, 1946, according to Commonwealth Act No. 725. Incumbent president Sergio Osmeña ran for a full term but was defeated by Senator Manuel Roxas. Meanwhile, senator Elpidio Quirino defeated fellow senator Eulogio Rodriguez to become vice president.

1946 Philippine presidential election

← 1943 April 23, 1946 1949 →

Nominee Manuel Roxas Sergio Osmeña Party Liberal Nacionalista Running mate Elpidio Quirino Eulogio Rodriguez Popular vote 1,333,392 1,129,996 Percentage 53.94% 45.71%

President before election Sergio Osmeña Nacionalista Elected President Manuel Roxas Liberal

Background

Soon after the reconstitution of the Commonwealth government in 1945, Senators Manuel Roxas, Elpidio Quirino, and their allies called for an early national election to choose the president and vice president of the Philippines, as well as the members of Congress. In December 1945, the House Insular Affairs Committee of the United States Congress approved the joint resolution, setting the election date by April 30, 1946.

Prompted by this congressional action, President Sergio Osmeña called the Philippine Congress to a three-day special session. Congress enacted Commonwealth Act No. 725, setting the election date on April 23, 1946. President Osmeña signed the act on January 5, 1946.

Candidates

Three parties presented their respective candidates for the different national elective positions. These were the Nacionalista Party, the Conservative (Osmeña) Wing, the Liberal Wing of the Nacionalista Party, and the Partido Modernista. The Nacionalistas had Osmeña and Senator Eulogio Rodriguez as their candidates for President and vice president, respectively. The Modernistas chose Hilario Camino Moncado and Luis Salvador for the same positions. On the other hand, the standard bearers of the Liberals were Senators Manuel Roxas and Elpidio Quirino.

On January 3, 1946, President Osmeña announced his candidacy for President. On January 22, 1946, Eulogio Rodriguez was nominated as Osmeña's running mate for Vice President in a convention held at Ciro's Club in Manila. According to the Manila Chronicle:

The convention opened at 10:15 in the morning when the acting secretary of the party, Vicente Farmoso, called the confab to order.

Congressman Jose C. Romero, who delivered the keynote speech, accused Senate President Manuel Roxas and his followers of fanning the flames of discontent among the people, capitalizing on the people's hardship, and minimizing the accomplishment of the [Osmeña] Administration. These men with the Messiah complex have been the country's and world's bane. This is the mentality that produces Hitlers and Mussolinis, and in their desire to climb to power, they even want to destroy the party which placed them where they are today.

Senator Carlos P. Garcia, who delivered the nomination speech for President Sergio Osmeña, recited Osmeña's achievements and virtues as a public official and private citizen.

Entering the convention hall at about 7:30 p.m., President Osmeña, accompanied by the committee on notification, was greeted with cheer and applause as he ascended the platform. President Osmeña delivered his speech, a general outline of his plans once elected. He emphasized that as far as his party is concerned, independence is a close issue. It was coming on July 4, 1946.^[1]

On January 19, 1946, Senator Roxas announced his candidacy for President in a convention held in Santa Ana Cabaret in Makati, Rizal. According to the Manila Chronicle:

...more than three thousand (by conservative estimates, there were only 1,000 plus) delegates, party members, and hero worshipers jammed into suburban, well-known Santa Ana Cabaret (biggest in the world) to acclaim ex-katipunero and Bagong Katipunan organizer Manuel Acuña Roxas as the guidon bearer of the Nacionalista Party's Liberal Wing.

The delegates from all over the Islands met in a formal convention from 10:50 a.m. and broke up at about 5:30 p.m.

They elected 1. Mariano J. Cuenco, professional Osmeñaphobe, as temporary chairman; 2. Jose Avelino and ex-pharmacist Antonio Zacarias, permanent chairman and secretary, respectively; 3. nominated forty-four candidates for senators; 4. heard the generalissimo himself deliver an oratorical masterpiece consisting of 50 per cent attacks against the (Osmeña) Administration, 50 per cent promises, pledges. Rabid Roxasites greeted the Roxas acceptance speech with hysterical applause.^[2]

President Osmeña tried to prevent the split in the Nacionalista Party by offering Senator Roxas the position of Philippine Regent Commissioner to the United States, but the latter turned down the offer.

As a result of the split among the members of the Nacionalista Party, owing to marked differences of opinion on specific vital issues of which no settlement had been reached, a new political organization was born and named the Liberal Wing of the Nacionalista Party, which would later become the Liberal Party.

Results

 

Manuel Roxas (right) and Elpidio Quirino (left)

The election was generally peaceful and orderly except in some places where passions ran high, especially in Pampanga. According to the "controversial" decision of the Electoral Tribunal of the House of Representatives on Meliton Soliman vs. Luis Taruc, Pampanga "was under the terroristic clutches and control of the Hukbalahaps. So terrorized were the people of Arayat were terrorized; at one time, 200 persons abandoned their homes, work, food, and belongings in a mass evacuation to the Poblacion due to fear and terror."

A total of 2,596,880 voters went to the polls to elect their President and Vice President, who was to be the Commonwealth's last and the Republic's first. President Osmena chose not to actively campaign, saying the Filipinos knew his record of 40 years of loyal service to the country.

Four days after election day, the Liberal candidates were proclaimed victors. Roxas registered a majority of votes in 34 provinces and nine cities: Abra, Agusan, Albay, Antique, Bataan, Batanes, Batangas, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Capiz, Cavite, Cotabato, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Laguna, La Union, Leyte, Marinduque, Mindoro, Misamis Oriental, Negros Occidental, Nueva Vizcaya, Palawan, Pangasinan, Rizal, Romblon, Samar, Sorsogon, Sulu, Surigao, Tayabas, Zambales, Manila, Quezon City, Bacolod (Negros Occidental), Iloilo City (Iloilo), Baguio (Mountain Province), Zamboanga City (Zamboanga), Tagaytay (Cavite), Cavite City (Cavite) and San Pablo City (Laguna)

Likewise, the Liberal Party won nine out of 16 contested senatorial seats.

In the House of Representatives, the Liberals achieved a majority with 50 seats won, while the Nacionalistas and the Democratic Alliance were only victorious in 33 and six seats, respectively.

President

Summary

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Manuel Roxas	Nacionalista Party (Liberal wing)^[a]	1,333,006	53.93
	Sergio Osmeña	Nacionalista Party^[a]	1,129,994	45.72
	Hilario Moncado	Modernist Party	8,538	0.35
Total			2,471,538	100.00
Valid votes			2,471,538	95.17
Invalid/blank votes			125,342	4.83
Total votes			2,596,880	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			2,898,604	89.59
Source: Nohlen, Grotz, Hartmann, Hasall and Santos^[3]

1. The Nacionalista Party was split into two wings: those who supported Osmeña or the "conservative wing", and those who supported Roxas or the "liberal wing". The liberal wing eventually split off after the election and became the Liberal Party.

Popular vote Roxas   53.93% Osmeña   45.72% Moncado   0.35%

By province/city

Province/City	Roxas	Osmeña	Moncado
Abra	6,760	3,813	18
Agusan	9,354	9,219	26
Albay	25,940	24,344	13
Antique	18,271	12,952	19
Bataan	9,468	8,309	4
Batanes	1,326	705	20
Batangas	56,410	24,118	37
Bohol	30,592	40,285	308
Bukidnon	3,011	2,451	150
Bulacan	39,799	38,549	38
Cagayan	15,514	25,605	365
Camarines Norte	10,471	5,482	4
Camarines Sur	33,267	24,214	21
Capiz	41,844	18,161	14
Catanduanes	5,477	8,698	4
Cavite	38,111	11,196	19
Cebu	53,848	98,700	792
Cotabato	17,826	16,490	66
Culion Leper Colony	47	420	0
Davao	11,896	19,226	1,536
Ilocos Norte	25,464	12,097	243
Ilocos Sur	30,322	16,530	34
Iloilo	79,136	43,522	25
Isabela	17,431	9,220	437
La Union	22,499	14,845	157
Laguna	36,527	22,246	26
Lanao	17,212	37,101	991
Leyte	64,236	49,965	155
Manila	82,457	31,513	172
Marinduque	10,596	2,487	8
Masbate	9,730	12,207	27
Mindoro	14,025	9,240	6
Misamis Occidental	11,165	15,926	848
Misamis Oriental	14,307	12,737	153
Mountain Province	8,490	11,369	468
Negros Occidental	62,605	52,982	58
Negros Oriental	13,262	25,594	171
Nueva Ecija	29,478	41,616	28
Nueva Vizcaya	7,458	3,664	9
Palawan	6,317	5,164	7
Pampanga	11,296	69,505	42
Pangasinan	82,081	64,794	56
Rizal	60,103	35,418	101
Romblon	9,200	3,560	17
Samar	37,553	30,793	82
Sorsogon	20,715	17,528	6
Sulu	6,833	9,228	6
Surigao	15,053	12,795	85
Tarlac	16,868	26,193	39
Tayabas	50,224	10,954	16
Zambales	15,811	6,853	16
Zamboanga	15,706	19,413	595
Total	1,333,392	1,129,996	8,538
Source: Bureau of the Census and Statistics^[4]

Vice-President

Summary

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Elpidio Quirino	Nacionalista Party (Liberal wing)^[a]	1,161,725	52.36
	Eulogio Rodriguez	Nacionalista Party^[a]	1,051,243	47.38
	Lou Salvador	Modernist Party	5,879	0.26
Total			2,218,847	100.00
Valid votes			2,218,847	85.44
Invalid/blank votes			378,033	14.56
Total votes			2,596,880	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			2,898,604	89.59
Source: Nohlen, Grotz, Hartmann, Hasall and Santos^[5]

1. The Nacionalista Party was split into two wings: those who supported Osmeña or the "conservative wing", and those who supported Roxas or the "liberal wing". The liberal wing eventually split off after the election and became the Liberal Party.

Popular vote Quirino   52.36% Rodriguez   47.38% Salvador   0.26%

By province/city

Province/City	Quirino	Rodriguez	Salvador
Abra	6,894	3,092	7
Agusan	8,540	8,131	11
Albay	23,445	21,696	12
Antique	16,749	12,026	55
Bataan	6,424	8,245	17
Batanes	1,466	221	6
Batangas	32,185	22,195	111
Bohol	26,290	34,296	167
Bukidnon	2,899	2,138	99
Bulacan	29,277	38,881	50
Cagayan	21,826	17,226	238
Camarines Norte	10,013	4,894	4
Camarines Sur	31,282	23,052	24
Capiz	36,845	17,494	11
Catanduanes	5,164	8,645	4
Cavite	22,688	17,882	28
Cebu	50,495	92,253	524
Cotabato	17,366	11,718	68
Culion Leper Colony	100	329	1
Davao	12,015	17,629	1,090
Ilocos Norte	26,727	9,672	109
Ilocos Sur	36,158	9,460	12
Iloilo	68,520	40,343	42
Isabela	19,800	5,786	208
La Union	29,126	6,860	104
Laguna	17,724	30,552	26
Lanao	12,638	26,787	594
Leyte	55,873	43,776	139
Manila	67,228	43,197	139
Marinduque	6,405	4,181	27
Masbate	8,378	10,066	32
Mindoro	12,370	7,423	7
Misamis Occidental	8,835	15,046	334
Misamis Oriental	12,245	10,172	132
Mountain Province	11,340	6,530	221
Negros Occidental	56,527	47,011	63
Negros Oriental	11,869	23,000	83
Nueva Ecija	27,949	38,690	46
Nueva Vizcaya	7,095	3,486	21
Palawan	6,219	4,691	7
Pampanga	9,291	64,566	119
Pangasinan	84,775	56,806	45
Rizal	35,512	54,896	50
Romblon	7,482	3,060	24
Samar	34,920	25,586	140
Sorsogon	19,455	15,980	10
Sulu	5,953	7,640	5
Surigao	13,800	11,768	56
Tarlac	17,523	22,813	50
Tayabas	39,338	15,966	35
Zambales	15,370	4,928	39
Zamboanga	13,317	18,462	433
Total	1,161,725	1,051,243	5,879
Source: Bureau of the Census and Statistics^[4]

See also

• Commission on Elections
• Politics of the Philippines
• Philippine elections
• President of the Philippines
• 1st Congress of the Philippines

References

1. Celso G. Cabrera. "Rodriguez is Nominated as Osmeña's Running-Mate," Manila Chronicle, January 22, 1946, p. 2
2. "Conventions Climax Hectic Week," Manila Chronicle This week, January 27, 1946, p. 3
3. Dieter Nohlen; Florian Grotz; Christof Hartmann; Graham Hassall; Soliman M. Santos.
   Elections in Asia and the Pacific: A Data Handbook: Volume II: South East Asia, East Asia, and the South Pacific.
4. Bulletin of Philippine Statistics No. 1. Vol. II. Bureau of Printing. 1946. p. 72.
5. Dieter Nohlen; Florian Grotz; Christof Hartmann; Graham Hassall; Soliman M. Santos.
   Elections in Asia and the Pacific: A Data Handbook: Volume II: South East Asia, East Asia, and the South Pacific.

External links

• Official website of the Commission on Elections