READINGS IN THE

PHILIPPINE HISTORY
Presented by: Group 6

Paras, Carlo
Sarmiento, Russel
Bansil, Jeric
Nicdao, Erika
David, Pamela

2
 Filipino Grievances Against
Governor Wood

Approved by the “Commission on

Independence” on November 17,
1926
Filipino Grievances Against
Governor Wood
By: Gregorio Zaide ( Gregy )
 Background of the Author
• Filipino historian, author, politician
from town of Pagsanjan, Laguna.
• Born: May 25, 1907
• Died: October 31, 1988
 Education
• Studied in the University of the
Philippines ( M.A. 1931)
• And University of Sto Tomas ( B.A
and PhD, 1934 )
 Work Experience
• Worked at the University of the
Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, San
Beda College, University of Manila, Far
Eastern University, and University of
Hawaii.
• Became the first Professor Emeritus of
History at the Far Eastern University after
he retired in 1964.
• He was also one of the founders of the
International Association of Historians
of Asia (IAHA), and president of the
Philippine Historical Association for the
3 terms. As a politician, he served as
the Mayor of his hometown of
Pagsagjan from 1971 to 1975.
Governor Leonard Wood
(October 9, 1860 – August 7, 1927)
• was a United States Army major
general, doctor, and public
official.
• He served as the Chief of Staff of
the United States Army, Military
Governor of Cuba, and Governor
General of the Philippines.
• He began his military career as
an army doctor on the frontier,
where he received the Medal of
Honor.
• Major-General Leonard Wood
arrived in the Philippine Islands in
1903 after his services in Cuba.
• He was appointed governor of the
Moro Province, comprising the
Southern Islands and Mindanao.
• Aside from being the head of the civil
government, he is also responsible for
five districts, and the commanding
general of the troops in the
department of Mindanao and Sulu as
well.
 An interview done by
Robert Low Bacon
• General Wood was asked what he thinks
would happen if he left.
His response was “Strife, disorder,
bloodshed. They might not come instantly,
but they would come soon. Moros, whom
we have disarmed and who want us to stay
and protect them, and Christian Filipinos
would fight. Industry, trade, and credit would
be ruined, with the inevitable concomitants
of idleness, hunger, and anarchy.”
The interview was quite interesting
since what he's saying is
contradicting to what he's actually
doing.
 American Flag

• “Emblem of Freedom”
• Symbol of Altruism”
 American Sovereignty
• Purpose: Train the country the art
of self-government
• Promise: Independence
• Aim: Our Good
 Philippines and America
• Promised that our country would be
conserved and developed for the
benefit of people.
• Filipinos were patient & diligent to the
task of meeting the conditions given to
them because they TRUST in the
Americans.
20 years of civil government -
mutual understanding & loyal
cooperation
American Sovereignty.
 Calvin Coolidge
* The President of the USA.
* Advised Congress of
America to fulfill their
promise since the goal has
been reached (loyalty from
Philippines).
* Major-General Leonard
Wood was sent to
Philippines as Governor-
General.
Your Date Here
 EXPECTATION

• Cognizant of General Wood's participation

in the liberation of Cuba, Filipinos expected
that spirit of cooperation would be
maintained.

• Political emancipation would be complete.

 REALITY
• There was a train of usurpation &
arbitrary acts.
• Resulted in curtailment of our
autonomy & destruction of our
constitutional system.
• Reversal of America's Philippine Policy
 Analysis of Documents
• Issuance of Executive Order No. 37
• Wood attempted to nullify laws
creating the Board of Control and
assumed functions of that body.
• Gravity of last step is more evident
when we recall the series of usurpation
committed by him.
 Arbitrary Acts
1. He has refused his assent to laws
which were the most wholesome &
necessary heads of department.
2. He has set at naught both the legal
authority and responsibility for the
Philippine heads of departments.
3. He has substituted his constitutional
advisers for a group of military attaches
without legal standing in the government and
not responsible to the people.

4. He has reversed the policy of Filipinizing

the service of the government by appointing
Americans even when Filipinos of proven
capacity were available.
5. He has obstructed the carrying out of national
economic policies duty adopted by the Legislature,
merely because they are in conflict with his
personal views.

6. He has rendered merely perfunctory the power

of the Legislature to pass the annual appropriation
law by reviving items in the law of the preceding
year, after vetoing the corresponding items of the
current appropriation act, in the flagrant violation
for Organic Law.
7. He has made appointments to positions
and authorized the payment of salaries
therefor after having vetoed the
appropriations of such salaries.

8. He has used certain public funds to grant

additional compensation to public officials in
clear violation law.
9. He has arrogated unto himself the right of
exercising the powers granted by law to the
Emergency Board after abolishing said board
on the ground that its powers involved an
unlawful delegation of legislative authority.

10. He has unduly interfered in the

administration of justice.
11. He has refused to obtain the advice of the
Senate in making appointments where such
advice is required by the
Organic Act.

12. He has refused to submit the Senate

appointment for vacancies occurring during
the recess of the Legislature in contravention
of the Organic Act.
13. He has continued in office nominees
whose appointments had been rejected by
the Senate.

14. He has usurped legislative powers by

imposing conditions on legislative measures
approved by him.
15. He has, in the administration of affairs in
Mindanao, brought about a condition which
has given rise to discord and dissension
between certain groups of Christian and
Mohammedan Filipinos.

16. He has by his policies created strained

relations between resident Americans and
Filipinos.
17. He has endeavored, on the pretext of
getting the government out of business, to
dispose of all the companies capitalized by
the government worth many millions of the
people's money to powerful America
interests.

18. He has sanctioned the campaign of

insidious propaganda in the United States
against Filipino people and their aspirations.
19. He has attempted to close the Philippine
National Bank so necessary to the economic
development of the country.

20. He has adopted the practice of

intervening in, and controlling directly, to its
minute details, the affairs of the Philippine
Government both insular and local, in
violation of self-government.
21. He has insistently sought the amendment
of our laws approved by the Congress of the
United States, which amendment would
open up the resources of our country to
exploitation by predatory interests.
• Wood promulgated the Order, declaring that
the laws creating & defining powers of B.O.C.
• He also announced his purpose to exercise
solely the powers & duties developing.
• The order is purported to be from the opinion
of the Judge Advocate General of the US Army
and confirmatory opinion of the Acting
Advocate General on November 7.
• However, the publication was moved to
November 10, after Legislature had adjourned.
• The laws defining powers of B.O.C.
were neither repealed by Legislature,
annulled by Congress, nor declared
unconstitutional by the courts.
 THE PROTEST
..…

"In the face of this critical situation, we, the constitutional

representatives of the Filipino people, met to deliberate
upon the present difficulties existing in the Government of
the Philippine Islands and to determine how best to
preserve the supremacy and majesty of the laws and to
safeguard the right and liberties of our people, having faith
in the sense of justice of the people of the United States and
inspired by her patriotic example in the early days of her
history, do hereby, in our behalf and in the name of the
Filipino people, solemnly and publicly make known our
most vigorous protest against the arbitrary acts and
usurpations of the present Governor-General of the
Philippine Islands, particularly against Executive Order No.
37."
"We, the constitutional representatives
of the Filipino people...do hereby, in our
behalf and in the name of the Filipino
people, solemnly and publicly make
known our most protest against the
arbitrary acts and usurpations of the
present Governor-General of the
Philippine Islands, particularly against
Executive Order No. 37."
 “We appeal to the judgment and
conscience of the American people
in justification of our stand and for
the vindication of our rights.”
 The long term effects of Governor Wood’s
abusive doings disposal of all companies
benefited by the government worth many
millions of the people’s money to American
interests attempted to close the PNB which is
important to the economic development of
the country.

The violation of self-government Created a

divide between the Christian and the
Mohammedan Filipinos.
Your Date Here
 As far as majority of the Filipinos,
they are not aware of who Governor
Wood is.

People keep on generalizing the

idea that the whole American
nation deceived us.
We succumb to forms of
oppression that a higher
power has over us!