| Paulino Santos | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 22, 1890 Camiling, Tarlac |
| Died | August 29, 1945 (aged 55) Kiangan, Mountain Province |
| Allegiance | Commonwealth of the Philippines |
| Service/branch | Philippine Army, Philippine Constabulary |
| Years of service | 1914-1945 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands held | Armed Forces of the Philippines |
General Paulino Santos (June 22, 1890 – August 29, 1945) was an exceptional military officer who became the Commanding General of the Philippine Army from May 6 to December 31, 1936. Upon his retirement, he served as a civilian administrator under President Manuel L. Quezon.
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Gen. Santos was born in Camiling, Tarlac to Remigio Santos and Rosa Torres. After his Spanish education from 1897 to 1900, he enrolled in an English school in 1901. In 1907, when he had finished the sixth grade, he was appointed as municipal teacher, a post which he held until the following year. In 1908, at age 18, he was an enlisted man in the Philippine Constabulary and he had just completed his first enlistment when he was named civil service clerk at the PC headquarters in 1912. That same year, he enrolled in the Constabulary Officers' School wherein, two years later, he graduated valedictorian. Santos was appointed as Third Lieutenant of the PC in 1914, and as such, he worked hard and continued studying to be more effective in his assignment as a field officer.
General Santos was married to Elisa Angeles of Bulacan, with whom he had seven children.
In 1917, Paulino Santos became the first provincial commander of Lanao and Sulu. As commandant and governor, improvements on agriculture, education and communication were achieved in the region. Serving as deputy governor up to 1924, he acted as the auxiliary justice of the peace in the municipal districts of both Lanao and Sulu at the same time.
Later, Santos was appointed as the assistant commander of Southern Luzon, and was given the rank of a Lieutenant Colonel. In October 1930, he was designated as assistant chief of the Philippine Constabulary where he served for more than 20 years. After his retirement, Pres. Manuel Quezon persuaded him to become the director of prisons in 1936. Santos then established the Davao Penal Colony, and sped up its transfer to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa. Although the jurisdiction Bureau of Prisons was transferred by law in 1937 to the Department of Justice, Santos remained its director, as requested by Quezon, while simultaneously performing his army duties. He was also the first head of "Estado Mayor ng Hukbong Pilipino" and became the administrator of the Land Settlement Administration.
Paulino Santos' record as an officer was one of distinctive achievements. He led the government troops in neutralizing the Moro rebels in Mindanao – they stormed at the rebels' cotta, killing 30 of them. Under his term, he established six settlements in South Cotabato, thus, increasing Christian population in the region. Santos died in Kiangan, Ifugao on August 29, 1945, and as a tribute to his legacy in the area, the municipality of Buayan (formerly Dadiangas) was renamed General Santos City, which, by virtue of Republic Act No. 5412 signed on July 8, 1968, was declared a city.
National Historical Institute. Historical Markers: Regions V - XII. Manila: National Historical Institute, 1993. Gwekoh, Sol H. Hall of Fame. Manila Times.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jose Delos Reyes |
Commanding General of the Philippine Army May 6 – December 31, 1936 |
Succeeded by Douglas MacArthur |
| Preceded by Jose Delos Reyes |
Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines May 6 – December 31, 1936 |
Succeeded by Douglas MacArthur |