Lorenzo Tañada

Lorenzo Tañada

Lorenzo Martinez Tañada was a Filipino politician. Elected to the first Philippine Senate in 1947, he was the longest-serving senator in Philippine history. He served as a Philippine senator for 24 years. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE5DD123CF93AA15756C0A964958260 Lorenzo Tanada, Philippine Politician, 93, Archives, "The New York Times" and NYTimes.com, May 29, 1992] , retrieved on: July 9, 2007] [http://www.librarylink.org.ph/revdetails.asp?rev=62 Acosta, Abraham Rey Montecillo. “Super Lolo”, "A Review of The Odyssey of Lorenzo M. Tañada by Agnes G. Bailen", UP Press, 1998 (note: Agnes Bailen was a former UP Department of Political Science senior lecturer); “Book Reviews”, the Philippine Collegian, November 23, 1998; and LibraryLink.org, 2004] , retrieved on: July 9, 2007]

Early life

Tañada was born in Gumaca, Quezon on August 10, 1898. The son of Capitan Vicente Tañada, who served as the last Gobernadorcillo of Gumaca town in Tayabas, Quezon under the Spanish colonial government and Anastacia Martinez Tañada. His actions in life were governed by the philosophy ingrained in him by his mother. The phrase “fear of God is the start of wisdom” guided him in all his social dealings. As an elementary student in La Salle, Manila, a school run by the Christian Brothers, Tañada joined a protest against his school’s American principal. The protest was prompted by the principal’s order for school children to stay during weekends to build a playground which prevented them from going home to their parents. As a law student at the University of the Philippines (U.P.), Tañada was a Reserved Officer’s Training Course (ROTC) major, a lead actor in plays, and a national football team goalkeeper. It was during his years as a college student, during U.P.’s Armistice Day, when he ed “his fellow cadets to take their training seriously as they will soon be called upon to use their skill against the Americans if the country’s independence is not granted”.. In 1924 he topped the governments examination for pensionados. In 1928 he obtained his Masters in Law from the Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He also acquired a Doctor in Civil Law meritissimus from the University of Santo Tomas.

Political career

Tañada is described to be a “person who metamorphosed from a graftbuster to a nationalist and... a crusader of various causes.” Apart from being characterized as an esteemed nationalist, Tañada was also regarded as the leader of the “parliament of the streets”. He had an infallible stance against graft and corruption, inequality, and tyranny. He was also the chief prosecutor against Japanese collaborators. Because of his political reputation, Tañada became a Filipino praised by all s of Philippine society, a person honored by both the Communist Party of the Philippines and the Reform the Armed Forces Movement, and a man who was acknowledged as a man of principles even by Benigno Aquino, Sr., who Tañada himself once charged as a “collaborator”.

Tañada was also a longtime opponent of Washington, D.C.'s role in the Philippines. He was the organizer of the Anti-Bases Coalition and other groups that rallied public opposition to the presence of American troops in Philippines. Lorenzo Tañada is often called the “grand old man of Philippine politics”, due to his reputation as one of the Philippine’s foremost nationalists. He was a familiar fixture during the Martial law era of Ferdinand Marcos, leading rallies and demonstrations. During Corazon Aquino’s presidency, he was a staunch anti-U.S. Bases activist and an anti-nuclear power plant advocate.

On September 16, 1991, Tañada received a standing ovation from the Philippine Senate after its rejection of a new lease for the Subic Bay naval base, which was the last American military installation in the Philippines.

Final years

Tañada died in 1992, on the way to a hospital, at the age of 93. Days before his death, Tañada had already been undergoing kidney dialysis. He was survived by his wife, Expedita Tañada, and nine children, including Philippine Senator Wigberto Tañada.

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Lorenzo Tañada — Lorenzo Martinez Tañada (* 10. August 1898 in Gumaca, Quezon; † 28. Mai 1992 in Manila) war ein philippinischer Politiker und langjähriger Senator, der vor allem durch seine Opposition gegen den US amerikanischen Einfluss auf den Philippinen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Tañada — ist der Name folgender Personen: Lorenzo Tañada (1898–1992), philippinischer Politiker Wigberto Tañada (* 1934), philippinischer Politiker Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung mehrerer mit demselben Wort …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Wigberto Tañada — Wigberto Bobby Ebarle Tañada (* 13. August 1934) ist ein philippinischer Rechtsanwalt, Hochschullehrer und Politiker. Biografie Der Sohn von Lorenzo Martinez Tañada, der von November 1947 bis September 1972 ebenfalls Senator war, studierte nach… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • De La Salle University Library — Infobox University campus university = De La Salle University color = #afddaf name = University Library picture = DLSULibraryLocation.png use = Library building style = Brutalist erected = 1985 demolished =| location = Malate, Manila campus =… …   Wikipedia

  • Ratification Cases — officially entitled as Javellana v. Executive Secretary (G.R. No. L 36142, March 31, 1973; 50 SCRA 30) was a case decided by the Philippine Supreme Court in 1973, said decision becoming the legal basis for the 1973 Philippine Constitution to be …   Wikipedia

  • Nationalist Citizens' Party — Founded 1957 Dissolved 1972 Preceded by Citizens Party Ideology Nationalism, protectionism …   Wikipedia

  • Quezon — Infobox Philippine province name = Quezon sealfile = Ph seal quezon.png region = CALABARZON (Region IV A) capital = Lucena City founded = March 2, 1901 (as Tayabas) pop2000 = 1,679,030 pop2000rank = 12th largest popden2000 = 193 popden2000rank =… …   Wikipedia

  • Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. — Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. 23rd President of the Senate of the Philippines In office November 13, 2000 – June 30, 2001 President Joseph …   Wikipedia

  • Claro M. Recto — For the Manila LRT station, see Recto LRT Station. Claro M. Recto Minority leader of the Senate of the Philippines In office 1931–1934 Senate President …   Wikipedia

  • Enrique Fernando — Infobox Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice| name=Enrique M. Fernando order=13th term start=July 2, 1979 term end= July 24, 1985 predecessor= Fred Ruiz Castro successor= Felix Makasiar nominator=Ferdinand E. Marcos date of birth= Birth… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”