Representative for Manila
Which position did Arturo Tolentino hold from Dec 1949 to Dec 1957?
Arturo Tolentino Arturo Ka Turing Modesto Tolentino ( September 19 , 1910 – August 2 , 2004 ) was a prominent Filipino politician and diplomat who previously served as the President of the Senate of the Philippines and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs . He is also regarded as the father of the Philippine archipelagic doctrine and as an expert on the Law of the Sea . Early career . Arturo M . Tolentino was born in Manila of humble parentage . As a student , Tolentino was noted for his scholarship . He was valedictorian of the Manila East High School ( now Victorino Mapa High School ) ( 1928 ) ; valedictorian ( cum laude ) University of the Philippines College of Law ( 1934 ) ; a bar topnotcher ( 1934 ) . He obtained the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy ( cum laude ) with a gold medal award from the UP in 1938 , and received the degrees of Master of Law ( meritissimus ) and Doctor of Civil Law ( meritissimus ) from the University of Santo Tomás . As a debater and orator , he won seven gold medals ( including the Quezon Medal ) and two silver loving cups . He held the title of “Inter-Collegiate Oratorical Champion of the Philippines” in 1934 . He successfully debated with American students from the University of Oregon in 1933 and from the University of Washington in 1934 . In U.P. , he was also editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian and a fellow of the Upsilon Sigma Phi . Tolentino engaged in the practice of law after passing the bar in 1934 , and was a recognized legal luminary . He was a law professor in the University of the Philippines , University of Santo Tomás , University of the East , University of Manila , Arellano University , Far Eastern University , Manila Law College , Philippine Law School , San Beda College and Quezon College . Congressional career . House of Representatives . Tolentino was first elected as Representative for Manila in 1949 . He was re-elected in 1953 . Shortly after his re-election , Tolentino was given the position of Majority Floor Leader , which he held until his entry to the Senate four years later and one which , though less glamorous than that of Speaker , he preferred and enjoyed . As it was a very senior position for such a young and inexperienced politician , his son recalls that his father’s reputation of toughness had earned him the respect of President Magsaysay . As he took his seat in the House of Representatives that day he glowered at the assembled members and said , “I warn you gentlemen , I was once a champion wrestler and weightlifter!” The duties and responsibilities of Majority Floor Leader and the reason for Tolentino’s selection was explained in an article by Manuel Martinez in “Tempo” October 7 , 1983 . “Tolentino was often involved in great intellectual battles and feared for his parliamentary prowess . That is why he was elected floor leader at a very young age . In legislation , the majority floor leader , not the Speaker or the presiding officer , is the key man around whom the parliamentary process revolves . He is the lightning rod , the clearing house , the yeoman and work-horse and spark-plug , the whipping boy if he does not watch out , the beast of burden , and center of attention . Only the tough are chosen as floor leaders . And so Tolentino discharged his function with awesome skill . It came to pass that there was born a saying , given as wise advice to newcomers to the House and later the Senate , where he was floor leader : ‘Neophytes should observe two things above all . First they should learn parliamentary rules by heart . Second , they should pray not to tangle with Tolentino in a floor debate!” It was not Tolentinos intention to run for the Senate . He was confident of re-election as Congressman , having been nominated by his party and already started his campaign when he was nominated for the Senate . He left the decision to his party leaders because he was unsure of which route to choose . The leaders allowed him to accept the Senate nomination . Many of the candidates were asked to make financial contributions for their campaign expense . Tolentino did not have sufficient funds . He remembered being asked him how he managed this financial difficulties . He said : I have never forgotten the generosity of Senator Oscar Ledesma who paid my contribution and will always be grateful to him . As a sign of my appreciation , I saw to it that I was with him during the division of candidates into campaign teams and strongly endorsed his policies in my speeches.” The Nacionalista Party had a strong Senatorial slate . In fact , the only casualty that might occur was thought by some leaders to be Tolentino . Their concern turned out to be unnecessary for when the returns came in , he was second behind Gil Puyat . “Where did you get all these votes?” Amang Rodriguez , the party president would ask . “I have a secret army,” Tolentino replied laughingly . “All over the country there are thousands of lawyers who were once my students and thousands of high school graduates who studied my text books.” Senate . On March 17 , 1957 , then President Magsaysay took off from the airport in Cebu . He was at the height of his popularity . A few minutes later , his plane crashed into the side of the mountain . All on board , with the exception of one newspaperman were killed . Tolentino said : I had been going with the President on Provincial trips because the President wanted to introduce me to party leaders and rural electorate for possible candidacy as a senator in 1957 . Normally he would go to series of towns briefly speaking in one before proceeding to the next . I would start my speech immediately after he had finished , then follow him as soon as mine was over . On this occasion however I was committed to a speaking engagement in Manila even though I had been scheduled to accompany Magsaysay . I explained my predicament to the President who was very understanding , who gave my seat to the Education Secretary then , who perished with the others on that ill fated flight . Tolentino was elected in the Senate that year . He was re-elected in 1963 and in 1969 . Senate Presidency . In 1966 , shortly after Ferdinand Marcos was elected President , Tolentino was elected Senate President . A year later , however , he was ousted from his position . Tolentino said : I seem to have a lot of frustrations that come along in my life without invitation . When I was Senate President , my term was for two years . But somehow I understood later that President Marcos had made an agreement with another Senator , - Senator Puyat , that after one year he ( Puyat ) would take my place . In other words we would split the two year term between us . I was not aware of that arrangement . President Marcos never informed me . So , after twelve months of my term as Senate President , Puyat insisted that he take over . Naturally , I resisted and pointed out that my term had not yet expired . He kept citing an agreement , but I pointed out there was no such agreement . At the next session of the Senate , Marcos maneuvered the other Senators to comply with this “commitment” , and voted for Puyat . As a result , I got ousted as Senate President halfway through my term of office . Vice-presidential candidate ( 1986 ) . He was chosen by Ferdinand Marcos as his vice-presidential running mate for the February 7 , 1986 snap election . They were against the united opposition of Corazon Aquino and Salvador Laurel . According to the National Movement for Free Elections ( NAMFREL ) final tally , Aquino and Laurel were consistently in the lead . The final tally showed Laurel winning by over 800,000 votes—roughly the same margin by which it showed Aquino defeating Marcos . However , according to the COMELEC tally , Tolentino won over Laurel with a margin of approximately one million votes . He was ceremonially sworn-in as Vice President of the Philippines on February 16 , 1986 , but functionally never took office . The disputed outcome would eventually lead to the People Power Revolution which ousted Marcos and installed Aquino as a revolutionary president . Later life . 1986 coup . Tolentino then would launch a coup on July 6 , 1986 , declaring that since Marcos was in exile , he was constitutionally the acting President of the Philippines . Marcos allies and about 100 soldiers marched to the luxurious Manila Hotel , barricading it with trucks . He was expecting massive support , but only several thousands of Marcos loyalists supported his cause . On July 8 , he agreed to disperse his thousands of civilian supporters and about a hundred military backers , ending the failed coup attempt . When the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines was overwhelmingly approved in a plebiscite , Tolentino announced he would respect the will of the people . Return to the Senate . In 1992 , he successfully ran for the Senate placing 18th under the Nationalist Peoples Coalition . However , his bid for re-election in 1995 was not successful and he retired from politics . Death . He died of a heart attack on the night of August 2 , 2004 , at the age of 93 . He is buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani . He had seven children , as acknowledged in his last will and testament ( 1971 ) : Arturo Jr. , Evelyn and Annabella with Consuelo David ; Bernadette , Salvador and Victorio with Constancia Conde ; and Ma . Elenita with Rosita Robles . External links . - Arturo M . Tolentino Memorial Website - Senate of the Philippines