Lorenzo Tañada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Senate Minority Leader | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office January 25, 1954 – December 30, 1957 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Carlos P. Garcia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Ambrosio Padilla | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senator of the Philippines | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office December 30, 1947 – December 30, 1971 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Solicitor General of the Philippines | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office July 1, 1945 – December 30, 1947 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | Sergio Osmeña Manuel Roxas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Sixto dela Costa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Manuel Lim | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office July 1, 1940 – June 30, 1941 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | Manuel L. Quezon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Roman Ozaeta | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Sixto dela Costa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Lorenzo Tañada y Martínez (1898-08-10)August 10, 1898 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | May 28, 1992(1992-05-28) (aged 93) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | PDP–Laban (1986–1992) Laban (1978–1986) Independent (1972–1978) NCP (1957–1972) Citizens' (1953–1957) Liberal (1947–1953) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Expedita Ebarle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Erin Tañada (grandson) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 9, includingWigberto and Lorenzo Jr. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent(s) | Vicente Tañada Anastacia Martinez | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | De La Salle University University of the Philippines (LL.B) Harvard University (LL.M) University of Santo Tomas (DCL) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Politician, statesman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Profession | Lawyer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | https://lorenzomtanada.org/ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Lorenzo Martinez "Ka Tanny" Tañada Sr.CCLH (Tagalog:[tɐˈɲada], August 10, 1898 – May 28, 1992) was aFilipino statesman, lawyer, human and civil rights defender, and national athlete. He is often referred to as the "Grand Old Man of Philippine Politics."
He served as theSolicitor General for two terms. Following his election in 1947 where he placed 1st with the highest number of votes among the Senate candidates, he then had a sterling career as a long-time senator inPhilippine Senate History, being elected to four consecutive terms from 1947 until 1971, for a total of 24 straight years in the senate. He was a fierce nationalist and principled politician. A staunch opponent to themartial lawregime underFerdinand Marcos, he marched and led rallies in the Parliament of the Streets. He is also equally renowned for his efforts to stop the continued presence ofUS military bases in the Philippines through the Anti-Bases Coalition (ABC).[1][2]
Tañada served as the campaign manager of theLakas ng Bayan (Laban) candidates that ran against Marcos'sKilusang Bagong Lipunan in the1978 parliamentary election.[3] After theassassination of former Sen.Ninoy Aquino, he was the chairman of the Justice for Aquino, Justice for All (JAJA) movement that sought to oust Marcos. Senator Tañada was also a co-founder of theFree Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) withJoker Arroyo andJosé W. Diokno. FLAG is the largest group of human rights lawyers nationwide. They spearheaded the nationalist cause in the 1970s and 1980s as an agreement in the 1960s with Larry Henares and others.
He was also the founding chairman of a merged party calledBayan in 1985, and he founded theNuclear-Free Philippines Coalition or NFPC, which successfully prevented the opening of theBataan Nuclear Power Plant under the Marcos administration.
In his youth, he was also a nationalfootball teamgoalkeeper[2] and was part of thePhilippine national team that bagged silver medals at the1923 and1925Far Eastern Championship Games, the precursor to the famousAsian Games.[4]
He is the father of former Philippine SenatorWigberto Tañada and the grandfather of former Deputy SpeakerErin Tañada.
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Tañada was born inGumaca, Quezon[5] on August 10, 1898, the son of Vicente Tañada, who served as the lastgobernadorcillo of Gumaca town in 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.
The same week, US conquered Spain's navy and captured the Philippines as its colony.[6] As an elementary student in Gumaca, he joined a protest against his school'sAmericanprincipal. The protest was prompted by the principal's order for school children to stay during weekends to build aplayground, which prevented them from going home to their parents. Tañada said he was the smallest child and remembered when the principal was shocked to see he was one of the complainants. This was considered to be his very first rally.
In 1915, Tañada moved to the newDe La Salle College, Manila, now called De La Salle University or DLSU, a school run by the Christian Brothers and graduated at the top of the class in 1918. He claimed it was the first time he saw his mother very emotional as she pinned the special medal on Tañada's breast during the ceremony.
As a law student at theUniversity of the Philippines (U.P.), Tañada, completed hisReserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) prior to the academic Philippine educational system and obtained the rank ofmajor, and was a lead actor in plays. He was also a nationalfootball teamgoalkeeper[2] and was part of thePhilippine national team that bagged silver medals at the1923 and1925Far Eastern Championship Games, the precursor to the Asian Games.[4]
As a college student, during U.P.'sArmistice Day, he we wouldexhort "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'sindependence is not granted".[2]
He recalled being allowed to make this speech at the request of the Filipino administrators. Though after the speech the Filipino administrators told him to resign from the ROTC before the American general may try to punish him. In 1924 he topped the government's examination forpensionados and obtained a free scholarship to study in the U.S. In 1928, he earned his Master of Laws fromHarvard University. He was the principal protégé of AmericanSupreme Court justiceFelix Frankfurter. He also acquired a Doctor in Civil Lawmeritissimus from theUniversity of Santo Tomas.
In 1947, together with prominent justices and lawyers, they founded the MLQ Law School, which became theManuel L. Quezon University in 1958 upon signing of the charter granted by the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture. The Monzon Hall is currently situated in R. Hidalgo Street while the Law Building is at Arlegui Street. Tañada was also a founder of the Civil Liberties Union in 1937 together with friendJ.B.L. Reyes.
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Tañada served as the pre-war and first post-war solicitor general from 1940 to 1941 and 1945 to 1947,[7] tasked with the monumental collaboration cases against many prominent figures, where he earned the respect and admiration of many of his peers and countrymen.
Tañada was first elected to the Philippine senate in 1947 where he topped the elections, placing 1st among senatorial candidates, the first of his 4 successful senatorial elections.[8]: 192
Tañada was the chief prosecutor againstJapanesecollaborators. Due to his political reputation, Tañada became a Filipino praised by allsectors of Philippine society, a person honored by both theCommunist Party of the Philippines and the Reform the Armed Forces Movement, and a man who was acknowledged as a man of principles even by those whom Tañada himself once charged as "collaborators".[2]
He was a petitioner in the landmark Supreme Court caseTañada vs. Tuvera, which declared that unpublished laws (a characteristic of the Presidential Decrees of Marcos) are without effect.[9]
Tañada was also a longtime opponent of the U.S. role in the Philippines. He was the organizer of the Anti-Bases Coalition (ABC) together with lawyer and former senatorJosé W. Diokno and also led other groups that rallied public opposition to the presence of American troops in the Philippines.
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 theMartial law era of Ferdinand Marcos, leading rallies and demonstrations. Due to his esteem among national democrats, Tañada chaired some national democrats coalitions in his later years to oppose Marcos in the streets.
After Marcos' opponent, Ninoy Aquino, was assassinated, JAJA was formed with co-leader Diokno, who is called the father of human rights advocacy, which made JAJA the first united front built to stop Marcos. Tañada was elected the chair of the alliance. However, JAJA could not unite the different competing groups and ideologies, and eventually former members left to form different alliances, with the largest beingButz Aquino'sKongreso ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Congress of the Filipino People) or "KOMPIL", of which Tañada served as one of the chief delegates.[10] In 1985, he became the founding chairperson ofBagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan).[11] Eventually,Marcos was removed from power and exiled in 1986.
DuringCorazon Aquino's presidency, he was a staunch anti-U.S.Bases activist and an anti-nuclear power plantadvocate.[2]
On September 16, 1991, Tañada received astanding ovation from the Philippine Senate after its rejection of a new lease for theU.S. Naval Base Subic Bay, which was the last American military installation in the Philippines.[2]
Tañada died in 1992,[5] on the way to a hospital, at the age of 93. Days before his death, Tañada had already been undergoingkidney dialysis. He was survived by his wife, Expedita Ebarle-Tañada, nine children, including his son former SenatorWigberto Tañada, and some grandchildren, and including his grandson Erin Tañada.[1] Tañada also is survived by his great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. He is buried atLoyola Memorial Park.
He received thePhilippine Legion of Honor, highest rank of Chief Commander (CCLH) in 1988.[12] Tañada was issued a stamp on the centennial of his birth in 1998 under the category ofGreat Filipinos.
In his hometown of Gumaca, Quezon, August 10 is celebrated every year as Lorenzo M. Tañada Day, a special non-working holiday, with historical-themed festivities held usually near the marker of his birth and at the site of his bust at the Gumaca National High School outdoor area.[13] A road 300 m long was named L. Tañada Street and is located near the presidential residence called theWhite House; the residential-cum-commercial road starts at Mimosa Dr. near theFilinvest Mimosa Leisure Estate, and is intersected right in the middle by Cardinal Santos Avenue until it reaches C.P. Garcia while directly facing Clark Development Corporation inClark Freeport Zone,Pampanga.[14]
He was a 1988 The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) awardee for Freedom Advocacy.[15] His son Wigberto Tañada also received a TOFIL award in 1999 for Government and Public Service.
Tañada's name is inscribed on theBantayog ng mga Bayani Wall of Remembrance, which recognizes heroes who fought against martial law in the Philippines under Ferdinand E. Marcos.[16][17]
There have been movements and calls, as well as bills have been filed in both senate and house of representatives in the 16th Philippine Congress, to rename Commonwealth avenue to Sen. Lorenzo Tañada avenue, to honor his legacy of Filipino nationalism and independence. Other calls have been made to rename Marcos Highway to Lorenzo Tañada Ave.; along with Shaw Blvd. to Jovito Salonga Blvd.; Taft Ave. toJosé W. Diokno Ave.; and Imelda Ave. to Sen. Geronima Pengson Ave. De La Salle University put up a special museum called the Lorenzo M. Tañada Memorabilia Room as a permanent part of the campus. Visits require early appointments. They have also instituted the Lorenzo M. Tañada CHIMES Award for faculty. The De La Salle UniversityTañada-Diokno School of Law was named in his and "Ka Pepe" Diokno's honor on Diokno's centennial on February 26, 2022.
On 21 September 2021, he was honoured as Lasallian heroes against Martial Law along withJose W. Diokno and Bishop Felix Paz Perez of Cavite.[5]
Books about his life include:
Other features include "Lorenzo Tañada, Brief life of a Philippine patriot: 1898-1992" by Christopher Capozzola, in the Nov-Dec 2020 issue ofHarvard Magazine,[18] "Sen. Lorenzo Tañada Sr. – national heartthrob" by Argyll Geducos, Mario Casayuran, and Hannah Torregoza published August 5, 2018,[19] and "A Tañada Dynasty or Legacy?" published by Action for Economic Reforms in March 2013.[20]
| Year | Office | Party | Votes received | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | P. | Swing | |||||
| 1947 | Senator of the Philippines | Liberal | 1,570,390 | 48.11 | 1st | — | Won | |
| 1953 | NCP | 2,156,717 | 49.85 | 2nd | — | Won | ||
| 1959 | 2,029,200 | 31.74 | 7th | — | Won | |||
| 1965 | 3,014,618 | 39.61 | 7th | — | Won | |||
| 1957 | Vice President of the Philippines | 344,685 | 7.33 | 4th | — | Lost | ||
A total of 826 of 1,209 delegates from all over the country voted for former Sen. Lorenzo Tanada as chairman and former Senator Jose Diokno as president.
| Chief Commander (Punong Komandante) |
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|---|---|
| Grand Commander (Marangal na Komandante) | |
| Grand Officer (Marangal na Pinuno) | |
| Commander (Komandante) | |
| Officer (Pinuno) | |
| Legionnaire (Lehiyonaryo) | |
