RAY CONLEY

CONTROVERSY
AND THE CABINET
CRISIS OF 1923
 “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths
will be found out.” Proverbs 10:9 “
 …In teaching, show integrity” Titus 2:7
AFTER GRADUATION TO
YALE…
 JPL decided to go back to the Manila via Europe:
 British Museum – Magna Carta
 Sorbonne University – documents on the fall of the Bastille

 He did not speak French but knew enough to absorb the gist.
 Secretary Kalaw appointed him chief of the office  with the approval of Quezon
 Governor General Leonard Wood made Laurel the Secretary of the Department.
 When Wood received a letter from Chief Justice Taft

 Secretary of the Department

 Direct conflict with his boss
 Conflict rose over the dismissal of Ray Conley  allegedly

Accepting bribes from gambling from lords of the City.

RAY CONLEY CONTROVERSY
(1)
 Ray Conley is a detective that came from the US in 1912. He became involved with offenses
of falsification, bribery and drugs.
 Mayor Ramon Fernandez’ secretary named Almario tried to include Conley in a doctored
telephone conversation.
 Mayor suspended Conley
 Laurel listened and brought to the Court of First Instance.
 The judge, an American absolved Conley.
 Mayor and the Secretary urged Wood for an administrative investigation but Wood refused.
 Instead, ordered an investigation composed of:
 Civil Service – Filipino
 Undersecretary of Justice – Filipino
 American Constabulary commander
RAY CONLEY CONTROVERSY
(2)
 He was not innocent of bribery, but guilty of immorality.
 Wood reinstated him, but should resign, “in view of his long and extraordinary efficient
service”
 Fernandez and Laurel resigned.
 They said it is contrary to the Jones Act of the preamble:
 “For the speedy recovery of such purpose it is desirable to place it in the hands of the people of the
Philippines as large a control of their domestic affairs as can be given them without, in the meantime
impairing the exercise of rights of sovereignty by the people of the United States.”
 Wood cited Section 21 of Jones Law declaring:
 That the supreme executive power shall be vested in the executive officer, whose officials title shall
be the Governor General of the Philippine Islands.
RAY CONLEY CONTROVERSY
(3)
 Quezon and Speaker Roxas opposed – “rough shod”
 Quezon told Kalaw:
 “When all these can be written down calmly, it will be shown that in the fight of with General Wood, I
defended not only our political autonomy, but also our economic heritage. General Wood wanted to
hand over to American capitalist the Philippine National Bank, Manila Railroad, and our sugar
centrals. I fought hard to keep these for the Filipinos. Had Speaker Roxas and I consented to a certain
proposal, some 250 million pesos would have been lost.”
 Col. Gordon Johnson brought him by force to the palace, but he refused.
 At the termination of their meeting Laurel said,
 “I’ll always be grateful to you, General, for all that you have done for me, but I cannot with dignity
continue serving under these circumstances/
LAUREL’S RESIGNATION
 Wood: “and why not”?
 Laurel: “The honor of my country as well as my own does not permit to stay”/
 Quezon: “very dignified attitude for a clean administration of the department”.
 City Fiscal Guillermo B. Guevarra: “unmistakable were the racial, economic and political
overtones.”
 Secretary of Justice Jose Abad Santos of Pampanga wanted to avoid mass resignation of
cabinet secretaries.
 Wood: “Mr. Secretary, this question is between the Americans and Filipinos. Naturally, I have
to be with the Americans”.
 Abad Santos: “I have sided on you on this case even at risk of being held suspect by my
friends. But since you make the racial question on the issue, I find myself obliged also to be
with my kind.”
MASS RESIGNATION
 Mass resignation happened after.
 Cebuano Representative Manuel Briones shouted loudly, “The war is on!”
 The following people resigned thereafter:
 Senate President Manuel L. Quezon
 House Speaker Manuel A. Roxas
 Justice Secretary Jose Abad Santos
 Commerce and Communications Secretary Ernesto Laguda
 Finance Secretary Alberto Barredo
 Agriculture and Natural Resources Secretary Rafael Corpus

 Wood: No need to resign

ASSOCIATED PRESS IN
MANILA
 “Wood acts were in direct violation of existing laws and the action of the Filipino leaders was
in defense of the principles of democracy and good government.
 President Calvin Coolidge: “Looking at the whole situation fairly and impartially, one can feel
that if the Filipino people cannot cooperate in the support and encouragement of as good an
administration as has been accorded under Governor Wood, their failure will be rather a
testimony of unpreparedness than an evidence of patriotic eagerness of advance.”
 Wood stayed in the office until his death from a brain tumor in August 1927.
 Laurel turned down government positions and instead
 Formed a law firm with Attys. Vicente del Rosario and Guillermo Lualhati
 Accepted few law colleges in the city
 Wrote articles and books on election laws, autonomy of local governments and commentedon phases
of constitutional law.
USING THE CHATBOX,
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
 1. Do you agree with the actions made by Dr. Jose Laurel?

 2. What are the values that Jose Laurel showed in this issue that
should be adapted by our government leaders today?
THE 1935 BILL OF
RIGHTS
THE 1935 CONSTITUTION
 Ratified by the US President Roosevelt which were followed by a National Election
held on September 1935. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAVe_RvvQUI
JOSE LAUREL AND THE BILL
OF RIGHTS
 In the process of making the constitution, Jose Laurel became an
integral part of its creation.
 He became the main sponsor of the 1935 Bill of Rights as a
representative of Batangas.
 The Bill of Rights is a very important part of the constitution that
ensures the citizens to enjoy their civil rights and protect them
from infringement and abuse from public officials and private
individuals.
 This bill of rights would later soon be adapted by the present
constitution.
USING THE CHATBOX,
ANSWER THE QUESTION:
 For you, what is the most useful provision in the Bill
of Rights that was discussed in class and why?