Ramon Magsaysay

Ramón Magsaysay
7th President of the Philippines
In office December 30, 1953 – March 17, 1957
Vice President	Carlos García
Preceded by	Elpidio Quirino
Succeeded by	Carlos García
Born	August 31, 1907(1907-08-31) Iba, Philippines
Died	March 17, 1957(1957-03-17) (aged 49) Balamban, Philippines
Political party	Nacionalista Party
Spouse(s)	Luz Banzon
Alma mater	José Rizal University
Profession	Engineer
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Republic of the Philippines
Years of service	1942-1945
Rank	Captain

Ramón del Fierro Magsaysay (August 31, 1907 - March 17, 1957) was the third President of the Third Republic of the Philippines from December 30, 1953 until his death in a plane crash in 1957. He was elected President under the banner of the Nacionalista Party.

Early life

Ramón Magsaysay was born in Iba, Zambales on August 31, 1907 to Exequiel Magsaysay, a blacksmith, and Perfecta del Fierro, a schoolteacher. He entered the University of the Philippines in 1927. He worked as a chauffeur to support himself as he studied engineering; later, he transferred to the Institute of Commerce at José Rizal College (1928-1932), where he received a baccalaureate in commerce. He then worked as automobile mechanic and shop superintendent. When World War II broke out, he joined the motor pool of the 31st Infantry Division of the Philippine Army. When Bataan surrendered in 1942, Magsaysay escaped to the hills, organized the Western Luzon Guerrilla Forces, and was commissioned captain on April 5, 1942. For three years Capt. Magsaysay operated under Col. Merrill's famed guerrilla outfit and saw action at Sawang, San Marcelino, Zambales. Magsaysay was among those instrumental in clearing the Zambales coast of the Japanese prior to the landing of American forces together with the Philippine Commonwealth troops on January 29, 1945.

Congressman

On April 23, 1946, Magsaysay was elected as an Independent to the Philippine House of Representatives. In 1948, President Roxas chose Magsaysay to go to Washington as Chairman of the Committee on Guerrilla Affairs, to help to secure passage of the Rogers Bill, giving benefits to Philippine veterans. In the so-called "dirty election" of 1949, he was re-elected to a second term in the House of Representatives. During both terms he was Chairman of the House National Defense Committee.

Secretary of National Defense

In early August 1950 he offered President Quirino a plan to fight the Communist guerillas, using his own experiences in guerrilla warfare during World War II. After some hesitation, Quirino realized that there was no alternative and appointed Magsaysay Secretary of National Defence on August 31, 1950. He intensified the campaign against the Hukbalahap guerillas. This success was due in part to the unconventional methods he employed and developed alongside an American adviser, General Edward Lansdale. The counterinsurgency the two deployed utilized soldiers distributing relief goods and other forms of aid to outlying, provincial communities. Where before Magsaysay, the rural folk looked on the Philippine Army if not in distrust, at least with general apathy, during his term as Defense Secretary Filipinos began to respect and admire their soldiers.

In June 1952 Magsaysay made a goodwill tour to the United States and Mexico. He visited New York, Washington, D.C. (with a medical check-up at Walter Reed Hospital) and Mexico City where he spoke at the Annual Convention of Lions International.

By 1953 President Quirino thought the threat of the Huks was under control and Secretary Magsaysay was becoming too powerful. Magsaysay met with interference and obstruction from the President and his advisers, in fear they might be unseated at the next presidential election. Although Magsaysay had at that time no intention to run, he was urged from many sides and finally was convinced that the only way to continue his fight against communism, and for a government for the people, was to be elected President, ousting the corrupt administration that, in his opinion, had caused the rise of the communist guerrillas by bad administration. He resigned his post as defense secretary on February 28, 1953, and became the presidential candidate of the Nacionalista Party, disputing the nomination with senator Camilo Osías at the Nacionalista national convention.

1951 Negros Occidental incident

Theatrical poster of the 1961 film The Moises Padilla Story that narrates the 1951 event.

In 1949, the governor of Negros Occidental Rafael Lacson assumed the gubernatorial chair and he ran the war-torn province as a police state. He tied up with the wealthy sugar plantation owners in the province, assembled private local armies and held the constabulary in an iron fist.^[1] The next year, many local journalists foretold the defeat of Lacson in the office if he will not loosen up his policies in the province.

In 1951 local elections, a man named Moises Padilla, a former guerrilla fighter against the Japanese during Second World War, declared his bid for candidacy to become the mayor of town of Magallon (now Moises Padilla). Padilla's opponent was an ally of Lacson. Because of this political alliance, Lacson sent a word to Padilla to renounce his candidacy or else he would die. Even though he was warned, Padilla continued his campaign but he sought military protection from defense secretary Ramón Magsaysay.^[1]

After the elections, Padilla lost the mayoralty race. The night after that, Lacson's uniformed men picked Padilla up and he was sent on a "town show" where he was beaten and tortured along the road. After the torturing, one of Lacson's men announced in the town plaza that this is "what happens to people who oppose us."^[1] When the news reached Magsaysay that Padilla was being tortured, he went to Negros Occidental. To his surprise, Magsaysay was informed that Padilla had already been killed by Lacson's men before the secretary even went to the province. Padilla's body was swimming in blood, pierced by fourteen bullets, and was positioned on a police bench in the town plaza.^[1]

The event afterward made Magsaysay's political career brighten up. Magsaysay himself carried the body of Padilla with his bare hands and delivered it to the morgue. News clips showed Magsaysay's pictures holding Padilla's body the next day.^[2] Magsaysay even used this event during his presidential campaign in 1953.

The trial against Lacson started in January 1952. Magsaysay and his men presented their evidence enough to convict Lacson and his 26 men for murder.^[1] On August 1954, the guilty verdict was given by Judge Eduardo Enriquez. The sentence was to put Lacson, his 22 men and three other mayors of Negros Occidental municipalities in an electric chair.^[3]

Presidential Election of 1953

Presidential elections were held on November 10, 1953 in the Philippines. Incumbent President Elpidio Quirino lost his opportunity to get a second full term as President of the Philippines to former Defense Secretary Ramón Magsaysay. His running mate, Senator José Yulo lost to Senator Carlos P. García. Vice President Fernando López did not run for re-election. This was the first time that an elected president did not come from the Senate. Moreover he started the jingles during election, for one of his inclinations and hobbies is dancing.

Presidency

President Magsaysay with Congressman William Chiongbian and Governor Gedeon G. Quijano of Misamis Occidental.

In the Election of 1953, Magsaysay was decisively elected president over the incumbent Elpidio Quirino. He was sworn into office wearing the Barong Tagalog, a first by a Philippine president. He was then called "Mambo Magsaysay".

As president, he was a close friend and supporter of the United States and a vocal spokesman against communism during the Cold War. He led the foundation of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization also known as the Manila Pact of 1954, that aimed to defeat communist-Marxist movements in South East Asia, South Asia and the Southwestern Pacific. During his term, he made Malacañáng Palace literally a "house of the people", opening its gates to the public. One example of his integrity followed a demonstration flight aboard a new plane belonging to the Philippine Air Force (PAF). President Magsaysay asked what the operating costs per hour were for that type of aircraft, then wrote a personal check to the PAF, covering the cost of his flight.

His administration was considered one of the cleanest and most corruption-free; his presidency was cited as the Philippines' Golden Years. Trade and industry flourished, the Philippine military was at its prime, and the Filipino people were given international recognition in sports, culture and foreign affairs. The Philippines ranked second in Asia's clean and well-governed countries.

International Relations

The administration of President Magsaysay was active in the fight against the expansion of communism in the Asian region. He made the Philippines a member of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), which was established in Manila on Sept. 8, 1954^[4]. Members of SEATO were alarmed at the possible victory of North Vietnam over South Vietnam, which could spread communist ideology to other countries in the region. The possibility that a communist state can influence or cause other countries to adopt the same system of government is called the domino theory.^[5]

The active coordination of the Magsaysay administration with the Japanese government led to the Reparation Agreement. This was an agreement between the two countries, obligating the Japanese government to pay $550 million as reparation for war damages in the Philippines^[6].

Agrarian Reform

President Ramón Magsaysay enacted the following laws as part of his Agrarian Reform Program:

• Republic Act No. 1160 of 1954 -- Abolished the LASEDECO and established the National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration (NARRA) to resettle dissidents and landless farmers. It was particularly aimed at rebel returnees providing home lots and farmlands in Palawan and Mindanao.

• Republic Act No. 1199 (Agricultural Tenancy Act of 1954) -- governed the relationship between landowners and tenant farmers by organizing share-tenancy and leasehold system. The law provided the security of tenure of tenants. It also created the Court of Agrarian Relations.

• Republic Act No. 1400 (Land Reform Act of 1955) -- Created the Land Tenure Administration (LTA) which was responsible for the acquisition and distribution of large tenanted rice and corn lands over 200 hectares for individuals and 600 hectares for corporations.

• Republic Act No. 821 (Creation of Agricultural Credit Cooperative Financing Administration) -- Provided small farmers and share tenants loans with low interest rates of six to eight percent^[7].

HUKBALAHAP

In early 1954, Benigno Aquino, Jr. was appointed by President Ramón Magsaysay to act as personal emissary to Luis Taruc, leader of the Hukbalahap rebel group. Also in 1954, Lt. Col. Laureño Maraña, the former head of Force X of the 16th PC Company, assumed command of the 7th BCT, which had become one of the most mobile striking forces of the Philippine ground forces against the Huks, from Colonel Valeriano. Force X employed psychological warfare through combat intelligence and infiltration that relied on secrecy in planning, training, and execution of attack. The lessons learned from Force X and Nenita were combined in the 7th BCT.

With the all out anti-dissidence campaigns against the Huks, they numbered less than 2,000 by 1954 and without the protection and support of local supporters, active Huk resistance no longer presented a serious threat to Philippine security. From February to mid-September 1954, the largest anti-Huk operation, "Operation Thunder-Lightning" was conducted that resulted to the surrender of Luis Taruc on May 17. Further clean up operations of guerillas remaining lasted throughout 1955, diminishing its number to less than 1,000 by year's end.^[8]

Death

Gravesite of President Magsaysay at the Manila North Cemetery.

On March 16, 1957 Magsaysay left Manila for Cebu City where he spoke at three educational institutions. That same night, at about 1 a.m., he boarded the presidential plane "Mt. Pinatubo", a C-47, heading back to Manila. In the early morning hours of March 17, his plane was reported missing. It was late in the afternoon that day that newspapers reported that the airplane had crashed on Mt. Manunggal in Cebu and that 25 of the 26 passengers and crew aboard were killed. Only newspaperman Néstor Mata survived. Vice President Carlos P. García, who was on an official visit to Australia at the time, assumed the presidency to serve out the last eight months of Magsaysay's term.

An estimated 2 million people attended Magsaysay's burial on March 22, 1957.^[9][10][11]

He is known as the Champion or President of the Masses.

Popular references

• The First Team, a 1971 thriller by author John Ball, hinges on the effort to recapture the USS Ramon Magsaysay, an American ballistic missile submarine. Freeing the submarine from control of the Soviet Union will force the Soviets to surrender their occupation of the United States.
• In Robert A. Heinlein's novel Starship Troopers, the smallest starships are named after footsoldiers. Upon reading some of their names, the protagonist remarks "There ought to be one named Magsaysay."

Personal life

He was married to Luz Banzon-Magsaysay, with three children: Teresita Banzon-Magsaysay (b. 1934), Milagros "Mila" Banzon-Magsaysay (b. 1936) and Ramon "Jun" Banzon-Magsaysay, Jr. (b. 1938).

See also

• President of the Philippines
• Ramon Magsaysay Award
• Ramon Magsaysay, Jr.

External links

• The Philippine Presidency Project

References