FILIPINO

GRIEVANCES
AGAINST
GOVERNOR

WOOD
Approved by the Commission on
Independence on November 17,
1926
BACKGROUND
OF THE

AUTHOR
 Gregorio F. Zaide
(MAY 25, 1907 – OCTOBER 31, 1988)

 Filipino Historian
 Author
 Politician
 Born from the
town of Pagsanjan,
Laguna.
 Contribution to the
Grand Scheme of
Philippine history.
FOUNDER PRESIDEN
T
Studied in the University of
the Philippines(M.A. 1931)
and
University of Santo Tomas
(B.A. and PhD of Philosophy,
1934) 
As a politician, he served as
the mayor of his hometown of
Pagsanjan from 1971 to 1975. 
IMMEDIATE
HISTORY

OF THE
DOCUMENT
The document is a form
of protest.

The document served as
an impeachment request
for Governor Wood.
The document was
approved by the
COMMISSION ON
INDEPENDENCE on
November 17, 1926.
This text is taken from
Gregorio F. Zaide and

Sonia Zaide’s
Documentary Sources of
Philippine History.
The document was
originally published as
Appendix of Maximo M.
Kalaw’s Philippine
Government under the
General Leonard
Wood

 Leonard Wood arrived in
the Philippines Islands in
1903 after his services
in Cuba.
 He was appointed
governor of the Mero
Province.
 He is also responsible for
five districts, and the
commanding general of
the troops in the
department of Mindanao
The document was
approved by the
Commission on

Independence on
November 17, 1926
(Appointed: October 14,
1921 until August 7, 1927)
A year after this document
was approved, Governor
Leonard Wood died due to
CONTEXT

 More than a quarter of a

century has elapsed since
the Philippines came under
the American flag - an
emblem of FREEDOM, NOT
OF SUBJUGATION; a symbol
of ALTRUISM; NOT OF
SELFISHNESS OR GREED.
 The first twenty years of civil

government were marked by mutual
understanding and loyal cooperation
between American and Filipinos. At the
end of that period, when it seemed that
the goal had finally been reached, after
the President of the United States had
advised the congress that the time had
come for America to fulfill her sacred
pledge. Major General Wood was sent to
the Philippines as Governor General.
 AMERICA'S GOAL GOVERNOR
FOR PHILIPPINES WOOD'S CONDUCT
• Training Filipinos • Usurpations and

in the art of self- arbitrary acts
government
• Granting Filipinos' • Curtailment of our
independence autonomy
• Destruction of our
constitutional
system
• Reversal of
America's
Philippine policy
 Series of Usurpations
Committed by Governor
Wood

1. He has refused his assent to laws which
were the most wholesome & necessary
heads of department.
2. He has set at naught both the legal
authority and responsibility for the
Philippine heads of departments.
3. He has substituted his constitutional
advisers for a group of military attaches
without legal standing in the government
and not responsible to the people.
4. He has reversed the policy of Filipinizing
the service of the government by
appointing Americans even when Filipinos

of proven capacity were available.
5. He has obstructed the carrying out of
national economic policies duty adopted by
the Legislature, merely because they are in
conflict with his personal views.
6. He has rendered merely perfunctory the
power of the Legislature to pass the annual
appropriation law by reviving items in the
law of the preceding year, after vetoing the
corresponding items of the current
appropriation act, in the flagrant violation
for Organic Law. 
7. He has made appointments to positions and
authorized the payment of salaries
therefore after having vetoed the

appropriations of such salaries.
8. He has used certain public funds to grant
additional compensation to public officials
in clear violation law.
9. He has arrogated unto himself the right of
exercising the powers granted by law to
the Emergency Board after abolishing said
board on the ground that its powers
involved an unlawful delegation of
legislative authority.
10.He has unduly interfered in the
administration of justice. 
11. He has refused to obtain the advice of
the Senate in making appointments
where such advice is required by the
Organic Act.

12.He has refused to submit the Senate
appointment for vacancies occurring
during the recess of the Legislature in
contravention of the Organic Act.
13.He has continued in office nominees
whose appointments had been rejected
by the Senate. 
14.He has usurped legislative powers by
imposing conditions on legislative
measures approved by him.
15.He has, in the administration of affairs
in Mindanao, brought about a condition
16.He has by his policies created
strained relations between resident
Americans and Filipinos.

17.He has endeavoured, on the pretext
of getting the government out of
business, to dispose of all the
companies capitalized by the
government worth many millions of
the people's money to powerful
America interests.
18.He has sanctioned the campaign of
insidious propaganda in the United
States against Filipino people and
their aspirations.
19.He has attempted to close the
20.He has adopted the practice
of intervening in, and

controlling directly, to its
minute details, the affairs of
the Philippine Government
both insular and local, in
violation of self-government.
21.He has insistently sought the
amendment of our laws
approved by the Congress of
the United Stated, which
amendment would open up
the resources of our country
 Governor-General promulgated Executive
No.37, declaring that the laws creating and

defining the powers of the Board of Control
which is author to vote the stocks owned by
the government in certain private
corporations, are absolute nullities.

 November 7- the executive order is

purported to be based on an opinion.

 November 10- after the Legislature had

adjourned, he has found that it is
convenient to withhold the publication of
his order
 The laws creating and defining the powers
of the Board of Control have been in force

and acted upon by the present Governor
General.

 Neither repealed by the Legislature,

annulled by the congress nor declared
unconstitutional by the courts.

 Subvert the whole system of constitutional

government and destroy the theory of
separation of powers
 THE PROTEST

"In the face of this critical situation, we, theconstitutional
representatives of the Filipino people, metto deliberate
upon the present difficulties existing in the government of
the Philippine Islands and to determinehow best to
preserve the supremacy and majesty of thelaws and to
safeguard the right and liberties of ourpeople, having faith
in the sense of justice of the peopleof the United states
and inspired by her patrioticexample in the early days of
her history, do hereby, in Our behalf and in the name of
the Filipino people,solemnly and publicly make known our
most vigorousprotest against the arbitrary acts and
usurpations ofthe present Governor-General of the
PhilippineIslands, particularly against Executive Order No.
37." *"We appeal to thejudgment and conscienceof the
American people injustification of our standand for the
IMPLICATIONS
TO THE

HISTORICAL
NARRATIVE
 The document details what happen during the
occupancy of General Wood in Philippines.


 It gives idea to what really happen during the
colonization of America in the Philippines.
 The document was a protest against the
arbitrary acts of the Governor-General.
 It is meant to present the difficulties by which
the Filipinos are experiencing under Governor-
General Leonard Wood to safeguard the rights
and justice of the people.
 It is an appeal to the Americans to stand for
the protection of our rights.
RELEVANCE TO

CONTEMPORARY
TIMES
1. The document is an eyewitness account

which serves as enough proof to show the
real happenings and events during those
times.
2. It showed that the Philippines was under
(indirectly) the US and that we were fooled
by the false promises.
3. It serves as a reminder that we must learn
to stand in our own feet and be
independent. We must learn to not easily
trust people because we do not know their
real intentions.
UNDERLYING

VALUES
 
The document tells us
the importance of
Nationalism and
Patriotism.
Reading in Philippine
History
1DB-BSACC
Kristelle Reyes Rea


Aimee Rose Ilagan
Maria Angelica Olaivar
Ainah Marie Oropieza
Hazzel Mae Perez
Floriane Soneja
Gabriel Ruz