(Editor’s note: It’s hard to endorse political giants like Quezon, Osmeña, Roxas, Laurel, Recto, etc from Pugo and Togo as noted by the author.)

The opposition candidates for the first national election in September 1935 were strangers to the campaign tools in US-style politics, especially the art of muckraking. In 1906 President Theodore Roosevelt spoke about the man with a muck rake in Bunyan’s Pilgrims Progress with allusion to search for and publicize, as in newspapers, any real or imagined corruption by public officials, business executives and other important public figures.

First muck rake

The candidates for president were: 1) Quezon, NP 2) Aguinaldo, Democratic Party 3) Aglipay, Republican Party and 4) Pascual Racuyal, Independent.

For his opening shot Quezon used a muck rake against Aguinaldo by reading the Truce Agreement at Biak-na-bato signed by Primo de Rivera and Paterno: “…(2) that Primo de Rivera would pay the sum of P800,000 to the rebels in three installments: 1) P400,000 to Aguinaldo 2) P200,000 for arms surrendered and 3) P200,000 upon proclamation of the general amnesty.

Quezon asked Aguinaldo to render a full accounting of the Spanish government fund extended on December 15, 1897 before and after departing for exile in Hong Kong.

It was impossible to make an accounting of the arms purchased 38 years earlier.

Versus the dominant church Aglipay was bishop of the Independent Church whose birth could be traced to Revolution ’96. Most voters in 1935 were Catholics and voting for a non-Catholic was nearing “mortal sin.” And Quezon won by a “sideline” (not landslide according to Senate President Amang Rodriguez) with less than half of the total votes shared by the opposition.

Osmeña obtained more votes than Quezon for one reason: His two opponents were not known politicians.

Versus full patronage

The second national election in November 1941was clearly one-sided in favor of the NP reelectionist.

The opposition candidate, Juan Sumulong, of Frente Popular, had not experienced the hardship in national politics. He was sickly and older than Quezon (born 1878). The president’s partyless democracy and full patronage machine could defeat any obstacle. Sumulong died shortly after the election.

NP’s ‘prime rib’

The third election in April 1946 was contested by two NP stalwarts – Osmeña and Roxas. Roxas had organized the LP by slicing off a “prime rib” from the “grand old NP.” Popular NPs like Elpidio Quirino, Eugenio Perez, etc. had joined the bandwagon of the new LP.

Osmeña chose Amang Rodriguez of Rizal as team mate while Roxas turned to the solid north by enlisting Elpidio Quirino of Vigan. Osmeña was in the US for more than two years, with the government on exile.

Roxas remained in Manila and waited for “developments.”

No movie industry praise

There were no showbiz endorsers in 1935, 1941 and 1946. The leading stars like Pol Salcedo (the “King”), Roger dela Rosa, Fernado Po Sr., Rudy Concepcion, Ernesto La Guardia, Ely Ramos, etc. were more on the prosperous side and not inclined to engage in the cheap “business” of befriending national and local candidates.

Actresses like Norma Blancaflor, Mila del Sol, Carmen Rosales, Elsa Oria, etc. were under “restriction” from production outfits like Sampaguita Pictures and LVN.

Colossal figures

Candidates for national politics were viewed as colossal figures “who doth bestride us all” and beyond praise from the movie industry’s moguls.

What candidate would want the endorsement of Pogo and Togo the most popular comedy duo in 1941?

Without hope

Candidates of the stature of Quezon, Osmeña, Roxas, Laurel, Recto, Amang Rodriguez, Briones, Quirino, and Magsaysay had no need of endorsements from the movie industry.

The two-party system between 1935 and 1949 had narrowed the choices to two and one independent with no hope of winning in any region of PI and RP.

Easy to choose

Candidates for president, vice-president and senators had limited exposure in big cities and capital towns only. Osmeña delivered one campaign speech in April 1946 in Manila and left his fate to voters familiar with his achievements as journalist, lawyer, governor, congressman, speaker, Senate President pro-tempore, and vice-president, a career that spanned 43 years since 1903.

It was easy to choose the right president and vice-president in 1935, 1941 and 1946. (Comments are welcome at roming@pefianco.com)