SORIANO, Kristine Mae B.

BSMLS – 2C

Write – Ups

I. CONTROVERSY

It is generally considered common knowledge that Emilio Aguinaldo was the first President of the
Philippines, although there is some heated debate on whether or not to consider the Supremo of the
Katipunan, Andres Bonifacio, as President, as well. Another significant debate also exists:

Who succeeded Aguinaldo as President? Officially, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines
considers Manuel L. Quezon to be the next President, by virtue of the creation of the Philippine
Commonwealth and the elections of 1935. However, there are arguments to be made that suggest that
there was a direct successor to Aguinaldo’s presidency.

II. AFFIRMATIVE EVIDENCES

• On par with the perennial argument of whether Andres Bonifacio should be recognized asthe
country’s first president is the question of whether Miguel Malvar, and not Manuel Quezon,
rightfully deserves the title as the country’s second president.
• According to his supporters (Jejomar Binay is one of them), Malvar deserves to be recognized as
such in line with the natural order of succession. With the capture of Aguinaldo and the surrender
of Mariano Trias, his designated successor and Malvar’s direct superior, it fell upon the general
from Batangas to lead the remnants of the revolutionary forces.
• His presidency was also recognized as legitimate by members of the “Hong Kong Junta,” the
overseas council which procured arms and campaigned for foreign recognition of Philippine
independence. During his period of resistance up until his surrender, Malvar ran the fledgling
republic as a chief executive and as head of the armed of forces—just as a real president would

III. OPPOSING EVIDENCES

• Miguel Malvar may have been one of the presidents of the Philippines, but the Philippine
government does not currently recognize him as such. According to Filipino historian Ambeth
Ocampo, including Bonifacio as a former president would imply that Miguel Malvar should also
be listed since Malvar continued the Philippine Republic, which was the product of several
governments led by Aguinaldo that succeeded Bonifacio's and which Malvar took over after
Aguinaldo was captured.
• Contrarily, historian, Manuel Luis "Manolo" Quezon III, the acknowledged second president's
grandson, asserted that these claims are decided by consensus and that the former vice president's
decision can influence historians' conclusions. He asserted that the people who were alive at the
time and members of the revolutionary generation thought Malvar was honored for his bravery but
not as successor.
IV. OWN PERSPECTIVE

Manuel L. Quezon is more than qualified to hold the post of president. His patriotism to his country is
unmatched, and couple that to his excellent statesmanship aside from the other qualities you would usually
find in a good leader. His most significant achievement was the passage of the Jones Act that provided for
the grant of Philippine independence. He was elected senator in 1916 and eventually became Senate
President. He headed the first Independence Mission to the U.S. Congress, and brought home the Tydings-
McDuffie Independence Law in 1934. Malvar was honored for his bravery but not as the successor.

V. CITATIONS

• Biography of Senate president Quezon - senate of the Philippines. (n.d.).

https://legacy.senate.gov.ph/senators/senpres/quezon.asp
• Miguel Malvar. (n.d.). Historica Wiki. https://historica.fandom.com/wiki/Miguel_Malvar
• Histories, 5 | PDF | Philippines. (n.d.). Scribd. Retrieved February 3, 2024, from
https://www.scribd.com/document/438441369/HISTORIES-5-docx
• Dimen, Y. (2012, March 28). Miguel Malvar Museum, Batangas: Of Battles and Surrender. The
Poor Traveler Itinerary Blog. https://www.thepoortraveler.net/2012/03/miguel-malvar-museum-
library-sto-tomas-batangas/amp/
• Mendoza, S. (2011). Is malvar really PH's second president? Yahoo! News. Retrieved November4,
2022, from https://ph.news.yahoo.com/is-malvar-really-ph-s-second-president-
.html?guccounter=1