# Rafael Rivas Alunan Sr.

Rafael Rivas Alunan Sr. (December 16, 1885 – May 18, 1947) was a Filipino lawyer and politician. Alunan served as a senator in the Senate of the Philippines and influenced the Philippines' growth economically during the American Occupation years.

## Early life and education

Rafael Rivas Alunan was born on December 16, 1885 in Talisay City, Negros Occidental to Raymundo Alunan and Josefa Rivas. He studied in the Colegio de Bacolod de los Recolectos, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in art, before studying in Ateneo de Manila University, where he studied business, and got his degree when he was 17 years old in the class of 1902, and later on, law in the class of 1910.

## Political career

In 1912, Alunan became a member of the Philippine House of Representatives for Negros Occidental's 2nd congressional district for 3 terms in a row, until 1922.
In 1916, he became the Floor Leader of the House of Representatives, until 1922.
In 1928, Alunan was appointed the role of Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resource, in succession to Silverio Apostol, and was part of the mission to grow the Philippines' economic and agricultural development. While in this position, he attended multiple meetings to the United States to discuss Filipino economic growth.
In 1933, Alunan was appointed the role of Secretary of Finance, and acting Secretary of Public Works and Communications. He served this role for 4 months as he refused re-appointment, due to the situation of the Philippine Sugar Company, which he headed. He was succeeded by Vicente Singson Encarnacion.
In 1938, Manuel L. Quezon appointed Alunan the role of Secretary of the Interior to succeed Elpidio Quirino. He assumed this position until 1941.
In 1941, Manuel L. Quezon re-appointed Alunan to become the Secretary of Agriculture due to the outbreak of the Pacific War. He only assumed the position until the end of 1941, when the Philippines was occupied by Japan.
In January of 1942, Alunan accepted a Cabinet Position as the Secretary of Agriculture from Jorge B. Vargasin, until October of the same year. 5 days later, the newly elected Filipino President, Jose P. Laurel re-established his position as Secretary of Agriculture until the end of the Japanese Occupation in March 1945.
In 1947, Alunan was chosen to be among one of five Board of Directors of the National Land Settlement Administration (now the Department of Agrarian Reform). This was his last Government Position until his death in the same year.

## Treason charge

In 1945, the Cabinet Members under the Laurel Administration were placed under trial for treason against the people in the Philippines. This included Alunan.
In the trial against him, Alunan pleaded not guilty to sympathising to the Japanese-backed Philippine Republic.
According to Article 114 of the Revised Penal Code, it required testimony of two witnesses and a confession from the defendant in order to be convicted. With this article, the case was dismissed due to the circumstance in which there were no witnesses related to the treason charges. Additionally, Alunan only accepted a position in the Public Office, and doing his duties as Secretary of Agriculture does not prove that Alunan sympathised or aided the Japanese, which therefore does not constitutionalize treason.
In conclusion, Alunan's charges were dismissed, and later was proved Not Guilty on February 26th, 1947, and was able to perform his regular duties onward.

## Business career

Alunan, while also being a politician, was also the head of Bacolod-Murcia Milling Co. and was the President of the Philippine Sugar Association. With the success of the Bacolod-Murcia Milling Company, Alunan was able to control most of the Philippines' Sugar in 1928, when he became president of the company.
Alunan also became the President of the Philippine Sugar Association, and was a key figure in meetings with America to discuss the sugar resources in the Philippines.
While simultaneously being the President of the Philippine Sugar Association, Alunan was also the President of the Philippine-American Trade Association, in which he submitted many requests to the United States, such as: to make Philippine-made resources affordable to the Filipinos and to not "Deprive Filipinos of their Livelihood".

## Death

After a meeting in Cotabato, Mindanao, Alunan with the newly formed National Land Settlement Administration (Now the Department of Agrarian Reform) was on board the Lili Marlene bound for Dansalan, then to his home town of Bacolod, where he died at the age of 61 at Mount Makaturing in Lanao del Sur, among 17 other people on board, including Colonel Edwin Andrews, and his successor to the Secretary of the Interior, Francisco Zulueta.

## Personal life

Alunan was married to Asuncion de la Rama and had 7 children. His grandson, Rafael Alunan III was the Secretary of Tourism under Corazon Aquino and the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government under Fidel V. Ramos