Manuel P. Manahan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Senator of the Philippines | |
| In office December 30, 1961 – December 30, 1967 | |
| Commissioner of theBureau of Customs | |
| In office 1955–1957 | |
| President | Ramon Magsaysay Carlos P. Garcia |
| Preceded by | Jaime Velasquez |
| Succeeded by | Eleuterio Capaspas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Manuel Perez Manahan (1916-01-01)January 1, 1916 |
| Died | April 18, 1994(1994-04-18) (aged 78) Caba, La Union, Philippines |
| Political party | Independent (1969-1994) |
| Other political affiliations | Progressive (1957–1969) Nacionalista (until 1957) |
| Alma mater | Ateneo de Manila (BA) |
| Profession | Journalist, businessman |
Manuel Perez Manahan (January 1, 1916 – April 18, 1994) was a Filipino politician, journalist, businessman, andrural development advocate. He was a key government official during the administration of presidentRamon Magsaysay, best known for his stint as the head of the Presidential Complaints and Action Commission. Together withRaul Manglapus, he co-founded theProgressive Party and served as its presidential candidate in 1957. He also served asSenator of the Philippines from 1961 until 1967.
Manahan was the third of six children of Juan Manahan and Cleotilde Perez. He finished high school in 1933 at theAteneo de Manila, and acquired his bachelor of arts degree in 1937 at the same institution.[1]
After finishing his studies, Manahan began a business career, most notably in soft drinks manufacturing. In 1933, he established the Philippine Standard Products Company. In 1937, he became a business apprentice at H.E. Heacock and Company, a major department store onEscolta Street in Manila.[1]
DuringWorld War II, he was imprisoned in Fort Santiago by Japanese forces after he was suspected of being in contact with the Philippine Army. He shared a crowded cell along with other prominent Filipinos such asEulogio Rodriguez, Colonel Jose Olivares, and Bienvenido de la Paz.[1] He was eventually released four months later.[2]
After his release, he went on to work for theLiberator, an underground newspaper. For this he was awarded the honor ofOfficer of the Philippine Legion of Honor in 1950.[2]
After World War II, Manahan assisted in the editing and publication of the Free Philippines, a political paper. Later, he published three Manila newspapers, namely: theLiberty News (English daily),Bagong Buhay (Tagalog daily), andLa Voz de Manila (Spanish publication).[2] In 1945, he also served as the representative of the Philippine press at theUnited Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco.[1]
In 1953, he was elected as the president of the Philippine News Service.[1]
In 1954, he was appointed by President Ramon Magsaysay as the head of the Presidential Complaints and Action Commission (PCAC), a newly formed commission responsible for receiving complaints against government officials and employees, among other problems.[3] He also headed an anonymous organization responsible for screening prospective appointees of the Magsaysay administration for their moral fitness.[1]
Due to his success in managing the PCAC, he was later appointed as commissioner of customs. In his new position, he successfully implemented significant reforms in the graft-prone agency. For this, thePhilippine Free Press dubbed as the "Man of the Year" in 1955.[4]
He also played a key role in four months of negotiations and the surrender ofLuis Taruc, the leader of the communist groupHukbalahap, on 17 May 1954.[5] The negotiations with Taruc highlighted social inequity among rural farmworkers that led to promises to address some of these issues. Shortly thereafter, Manahan became actively involved in the development of thePhilippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM) that was then establishing an agricultural training center and demonstration farm inSan Leonardo, Nueva Ecija.[6]
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When Magsaysay died due to a plane crash in 1957, Vice PresidentCarlos P. Garcia soon assumed office as President. With thepresidential election scheduled to be held in the same year, Magsaysay's death also triggered a chaotic political situation in the country, most notably with the rulingNacionalista Party.
Manahan, among other Nacionalistas closely associated with Magsaysay, were disappointed by the "cold treatment" given to them by allies of President Garcia and decided to leave the party.[7] Soon, Manahan co-founded the Progressive Party of the Philippines together with Raul Manglapus. The new party aimed to be an alternative to the Nacionalista Party and theLiberal Party. Manahan served as its candidate for the presidential election, with Vicente Araneta as his running mate.
Despite having less money compared to the candidates of the two major parties, he was able to rally significant support among the masses with his popular appeal and his resemblance, both physically and ideologically, to the late President Magsaysay.[8]
On September 7, 1957, Manahan survived an assassination attempt while campaigning inOpon,Cebu. Andronico Baguio, the would-be assassin, attempted to kill Manahan with a 7-inch knife. However, he was quickly apprehended by Manahan's bodyguards. Manahan eventually asked the police to release Baguio as soon as they confiscated his knife.[9]
Manahan lost to Garcia in the presidential election, managing to rank in 3rd place with 20.90 percent of the vote. Araneta, his running mate, lost toDiosdado Macapagal of the Liberal Party.[10]
In the1959 general election, the Progressive Party collaborated with defectors from the Nacionalista and Liberal parties to form theGrand Alliance.[11] Manahan became one of the candidates of the Alliance for the senatorial election. However, Manahan was not able to win a seat in the Senate.
In the1961 general election, the Grand Alliance joined forces with the Liberal Party to oppose President Garcia's bid for reelection and endorseVice-President Macapagal's presidential candidacy.[11] Under the coalition, Manahan made a second attempt for a seat in the Senate and succeeded.
As senator, he headed the Senate Committee on Banks, Corporations and Franchises, as well as the Senate committees for scientific management, national defense and security, cultural minorities, and provincial and municipal governments and cities. He also served as a member of the Commission on Appointments. Manahan also worked on the decentralization bill together with longtime ally Manglapus, who was also elected as Senator in the same year.[4]
After President Diosdado Macapagal failed to meet the expectations of the Grand Alliance, several members, including Manahan, separated from the Liberal Party. In the1965 general election, the Party for Philippine Progress was formed, with Manahan serving as the running mate for the party's presidential candidate Manglapus. However, both were not successful in the election, with Manahan managing to acquire only 3 percent of the vote.[10]
After leaving the Senate in 1967, Manahan served as chairman of the Cooperative Foundation of the Philippines and of thePhilippine Rural Reconstruction Movement. He also served briefly as president ofTabacalera. Prior to the declaration of martial law in 1972, Manahan served as the executive vice-president of the Manila Times Publishing Corporation. Prior to his death, he served as chairman of the board of the College Assurance Plan and the CAP Pension Corporation.[1]
He Tried Returning To The Senate In The1987 Philippine Senate election But Lost With 570,979 Votes as An Independent Candidate.Manahan was awarded with the Dona Aurora – Aragon Award for Peace and the "Lux in Domini" award of the Ateneo de Manila. He was also named "Ama ng Kooperatiba" (Father of the Cooperatives) by President Corazon Aquino.[1]
Manahan died due to heart failure on April 18, 1994, inCaba, La Union. He was survived by his wife Constancia la Guardia, with whom he has ten children.[1][12]
After Manahan's death, a group of family members and friends established the Manuel P. Manahan Foundation in his honor in 2002. The foundation aims to provide integrated programs to enhance the living conditions of members of the marginalized society.[13][14] His daughter in law, Maria Socorro "Muffet" Manahan, the Executive Director of the Manuel P. Manahan Foundation, was a candidate for the Philippine Senate representing thePartido Federal ng Pilipinas in the 2019 elections.[15]
His brother, Constantino P. Manhan, was a medical doctor specializing in obstetrics and was a founder of theMakati Medical Center, and his sister-in-law Elvira Ledesma Manahan (Constantino's wife) was an actress and television talk show host.[16][17] His nephews,Johnny Manahan is a television personality,Joey Manahan, is a politician in Hawaii and Philip Manahan, is a public servant in theDepartment of the Interior and Local Government.[17]
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