Manila's 1st legislative district special elections, 1908

Two special elections (known elsewhere as "by-elections") for Manila's 1st (North) district's seat in the Philippine Assembly were held on 1908. Justo Lukban won the second election, after Dominador Gómez, winner of the 1907 general election, was expelled from office, then won the first special election, finally only to resign his rights as member of the assembly.

Background

The Nacionalista Party was brought about by the merger of the Union Nacionalista, which chose an evolutionary position on Philippine independence, and the Independistas, led by Alberto Barretto and Justo Lukban, which advocated immediate independence. The two organizations merged in March 2, 1907, to oppose the Progresista Party, which opposed independence, after withdrawing their platform of Philippine U.S. statehood.^[1]

Fernando Guerrero, who was earlier elected as counselors of the Nacionalistas along with Sergio Osmeña, and Lukban, were dropped from the ballot in favor of Dominador Gómez and Felipe del Mar. Guerrero and Lukban then set up Liga Nacional Independecia to oppose the Nacionalistas.^[2]

The 1st Philippine Legislature convened for the first time in October 16, 1907, after elections earlier that year. Osmeña was elected Speaker. Osmeña had then successfully prevented Gómez from taking his seat, questioning his citizenship, until he was elected speaker.^[3]

First election

By February 1908, Osmeña and his adjutant, Manuel L. Quezon, saw Gómez as their primary opponent for control of the legislature. Osmeña has most of the Nacionalistas behind him, while Gómez was counting on the support of the dissatisfied Nacionalistas and members of the Progresistas.^[4] In February, Gómez denounced the moves to unseat him in a speech before the assembly. Those who wanted to unseat Gómez planned to replace him with Lukban, who was the defeated candidate in the 1907 election.^[5] A day after his speech, the assembly moved to vacate Gómez's seat, 40–35.^[6] A week later, Gómez, in a letter to the assembly, said that he would no longer contest his removal, paving way for a special election. This also made the motions for reconsideration, and for an investigation to an extra "mysterious vote" for Gómez's removal, be moot and academic.^[7]

Gómez expressed his intention to run in the special election in March. Lukban also expressed his intention to run, seeing a rematch of the 1907 election.^[8]

Results

1908 Philippine Assembly special election at Manila's 1st legislative district^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Nacionalista	Dominador Gómez	1,742	56.95
	Nacionalista	Justo Lukban	1,317	43.05
Total votes			3,059	100.00
Voter turnout			70.32%
	Nacionalista hold

The March 30 election saw Gómez successfully defending his seat. His victory was celebrated at the Rizal Theater later that night, and rumors of him actually reclaiming his seat at the Ayuntamiento de Manila led to the Manila Police District securing the premises but Gómez did not show up.^[9]

By June, Osmeña read a letter by Gómez to the assembly of the latter resigning his rights as duly elected representative of Manila's first district. This means that the contested seat is again vacant.^[10]

Second election

The Nacionalistas have nominated José Turiano Santiago for the vacant seat in July 6.^[11] Meanwhile, Lukban contested the seat anew; Gómez, for his part, is contesting a seat at the newly provided Municipal Board of Manila. A clash between their supporters occurred at Calle Azcarraga at the eve of the election on August 11. Lukban's supporters, being led by Lope K. Santos, were first harassed by Gómez supporters, which later led to a full-blown riot. After the fight was dispersed, the Gómez supporters had a meeting at Calle Acuña, guarded by the police.^[12]

Results

1908 Philippine Assembly special election at Manila's 1st legislative district^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liga Popular Nacional	Justo Lukban	2,102	55.33	+12.28
	Nacionalista	José Turiano Santiago	1,697	44.67	−12.28
Total votes			3,799	100.00	+24.19
	Liga Popular Nacional gain from Nacionalista		Swing	12.28

While Lukban won the assembly seat, Gómez lost the municipal board election to Ramon Diokno. Commissioner Rafael Palma, who was surprised of Gómez's defeat, attributed it to Gómez's attacks against Osmeňa, which reduced his popularity with the masses. A Manila Times editorial emphasized the victories of the Liga Popular Nacional against the regular Nacionalista Party; the latter was seen as being dominated by aristocrats, who are mostly mestizos. The election results were announced at the junction of the Puente de España and Escolta Street, at a screen set up in front of the La Extremeña Building.^[13]

Later that year, Diokno renounced his claims from the seat amidst the electoral protest filed by Gómez. Gómez later reclaimed his old assembly seat in 1909, when he won on a successful electoral protest against Lukban.^[14] Lukban later on became Mayor of Manila.

Notes

References

Cullinane, Michael (1989). Ilustrado Politics: Filipino Elite Responses to American Rule, 1898–1908. Ateneo de Manila University Press. ISBN 978-971-550-439-3.
Ingles, Raul Rafael (2008). A1908: The Way it Really was : Historical Journal for the UP Centennial, 1908–2008. University of the Philippines Press. ISBN 978-971-542-580-3.

Special elections to the Congress of the Philippines
Philippine Legislature	1908 Manila–1st 1909 Cavite 1910 Surigao 1910 La Laguna–1st 1911 Batanes 1911 Zambales 1913 Ilocos Sur–1st 1914 Mindoro 1914 Bulacan–1st 1914 Zambales 1914 Iloilo–4th 1914 Negros Oriental–2nd 1914 Capiz–2nd 1914 Cebu–7th 1915 Rizal–2nd 1915 Leyte–4th 1915 Negros Occidental–1st 1916 Cebu–3rd 1917 Senate–2nd 1923 Senate–4th 1926 Nueva Ecija 1928 Senate–3rd 1928 Senate–9th 1928 Tayabas–2nd 1929 Cavite 1932 Albay–3rd 1932 Mindoro 1933 Batangas–1st
National Assembly	1936 Ilocos Norte–2nd 1936 Pangasinan–3rd 1936 Leyte–4th 1940 Albay–3rd 1940 Iloilo–2nd 1940 Leyte–5th 1940 Nueva Ecija–2nd
Congress	1947 Pangasinan–5th 1947 Bukidnon 1948 Iloilo–1st 1948 Leyte–1st 1951 Rizal–2nd 1951 Senate 1955 Albay–1st 1955 Samar–1st 1955 Senate 1963 Batangas–1st 1963 Negros Occidental–1st 1965 Iloilo–3rd 1967 Davao del Sur 1967 Davao Oriental 1967 Ilocos Norte–1st 1967 Northern Samar 1967 South Cotabato 1993 Agusan del Norte–2nd 1993 Capiz–1st 1994 Rizal–1st 2001 Senate 2002 Zamboanga del Norte–1st 2003 Isabela–4th 2005 Cebu–5th 2011 Cagayan–2nd 2011 Ilocos Sur–1st 2012 Zambales–2nd 2012 Negros Occidental–5th
Senate special elections are italicized.

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