KRISTINE RAZEL M.

CANO BSE1A

FILIPINO GRIEVANCES AGAINST WOOD

The document Filipino Grievances Against Governor Wood is an example of a joint resolution
expressing the legislators’ disgust with the way Gov. Wood was running the affairs of the government. It
may also be classified as a protest or a petition letter. Since the persons behind it and the circumstances
surrounding it were highly political, one could expect that it is loaded with political bias and partisan
interest. Readers should be extra careful and should exercise due diligence in distinguishing
what elements are truthful and what are mere black propaganda. Some of the issues raised here
are partly true but were blown out of proportion in order to discredit the Wood administration. Wood
admitted in his diary that the “Conley case” was only a pretext and the root cause of his falling out with
the Filipino politicians was his refusal to let Quezon run the government. Lewis Gleeck on his part wrote
that the cabinet crisis was provoked by Quezon who at that time was desperately in need of an election
issue that he could use in his political campaign. The third paragraph of the document states that
what prompted them to write the resolution was Wood’s issuance of Executive Order No. 37. It
abolished the Board of Control that Gov. Gen. Francis Burton Harrison created during his term. This
development stripped the power of Filipino legislators to oversee the sale and management of
government-owned and controlled corporations. The Board of Control was important to Filipinos
because they were given voting powers and they could even outvote the governor if they will vote as a
block. For them, the Executive Order was illegal because it violates the principle of separation of
powers. Moreover, they claimed that the governor general has no power to abolish it. Aside from E.O.
37, they also raised more than twenty other abuses and unjust acts of the governor general. They
characterized Wood as “arbitrary, oppressive and undemocratic.” The last paragraph of the
document states that they are issuing it to appeal to the judgment and conscience of the
American people to support their stand and uphold their political rights. The text that will be
presented below is taken from Gregorio F. Zaide and Sonia Zaide’s Documentary Sources of Philippine
History. The document was originally published as Appendix of Maximo M. Kalaw’s Philippine
Government under the Jones Law. More than a quarter of a century has elapsed since the
Philippines came under the American flag- an emblem of freedom, not of subjugation; a symbol of
altruism, not of selfishness or greed. American sovereignty was implanted in our country with the
avowed purpose of training in us in the art of self-government and granting us independence. Our good,
not her gain was to be America’s aim. Our country was committed to her in trust to be conserved and
developed for the benefit of our people. Believing in the sincerity of America’s purpose, the Filipinos
applied themselves to the task of meeting the conditions exacted of them, anxiously awaiting the day
when America would honor her promise. The first twenty years of civil government were marked by
mutual understanding and loyal cooperation between American and Filipinos. At the end of that period,
when it seemed that the goal had finally been reached, after the President of the United States had
advised the Congress that the time had come for America to fulfill her sacred pledge, Major-General
Leonard Wood was sent to the Philippines as Governor-General. Cognizant of the part taken by General
Wood in the liberation of Cuba, the Filipino people expected that under his administration the spirit of
cooperation would be maintained and that the work of political emancipation would be complete.
Contrary, however, to our expectations, his conduct of government has been characterized by a train of
usurpations and arbitrary acts, resulting in the curtailment of our autonomy, the destruction of
our constitutional system, and the reversal of America’s Philippine policy.

REFFERENCES; https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/xavier-university-ateneo-de-cagayan/
information-technology/filipino-grievances-against-governor-wood/8856198
KRISTINE RAZEL M. CANO BSE1A

HISTORICAL CONTEXT:

From the time the Americans arrived in the Philippines in 1898, Filipinos persistently demanded
to give them independence. American colonial officials did not say no to them because it would
surely derail their effort to pacify them. Instead, they appointed Filipino politicians to key
government positions hoping that by doing so they will forget their desire for independence. The
appointment of Francis Burton Harrison as governor general and the passage of the Jones Law in 1916
change the political landscape in the Philippines. Jones Law categorically stipulated that the American
government would give the Filipinos independence once they have established a stable government. No
specific date was given but for Quezon and other officials 2the written promise was already a significant
achievement. They were further elated when the Retirement Act was passed in 1915 which offered
attractive financial package to Americans who would voluntarily give up their positions in the
Philippines. This paved the way for the Filipinization of the bureaucracy. Except for the position of
governor general, vice governor, Secretary of Public Instruction and a few more sensitive positions, all
other positions were offered to Filipinos. Local politicians were allowed to hold cabinet positions and
top notch Filipino lawyers were appointed justices of the supreme court. Moreover, forty-five provinces
and more than eight hundred municipalities were put under Filipino governors and mayors
respectively. The Jones law also created a bicameral congress that gave opportunities to politicians
based in the provinces to participate in policy making. Quezon led the Senate and the House of
Representatives elected Sergio Osmena as their speaker. While holding key positions in the
government, Filipinos tried to prove to the Americans that they are now competent and ready to
manage their own affairs. They were expecting that in the coming years American officials would be
convinced that Filipinos are now compliant with the requirements of the Jones Law and therefore must
be given independence. The defeat of the Democrats in the 1920 presidential election had devastating
effects on the aspiration of the Filipinos to be given independence. Months after President Warren
Harding was sworn into office, he sent Leonard Wood and William Cameron Forbes (Wood-Forbes
mission) to the Philippines to check if the Filipinos have already satisfied the conditions set by the Jones
law. The team conducted an exhaustive investigation and visited 48 provinces and 449 municipalities.
The report they submitted was not favorable to the cause of the Filipino politicians. It exposed
the corruption and patronage system that became prevalent in government owned and controlled
corporations during the Harrison era. It singled out particularly the anomalous transactions in the
administration of public lands and the banking malpractices that resulted to the bankruptcy of the
Philippine National Bank (P.N.B.). Quezon and other members of the Nationalista Party were offended
by the report because it insinuated that Filipino leaders were corrupt and incompetent and therefore do
not deserve yet to be given independence. After Leonard Wood retired from the U.S. Army in 1921,
President Harding appointed him Governor General of the Philippines. When he was sworn into office in
October 15, 1921, Filipino politicians did not oppose his appointment because they were led to believe
that he would go back to the U.S. after a year to assume the presidency of University of
Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, Wood opted to stay in the Philippines and remained governor general
until he died in 1927. During his governorship, he monitored closely the activities of the local politicians
and corrected some of their misconducts. He also vetoed numerous bills that the Philippine
legislature passed and appointed American military men in key positions under the executive branch
(known as Khaki cabinet). On top of these, he strengthened the powers and jurisdiction of the
governor general which were significantly reduced during the Harrison era. Wood’s reforms and
his reassertion of American sovereignty did not sit well with Quezon and other Filipino

REFFERENCES; https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/xavier-university-ateneo-de-cagayan/
information-technology/filipino-grievances-against-governor-wood/8856198
KRISTINE RAZEL M. CANO BSE1A

politicians. As years went on the situation went from bad to worse and ultimately 3catapulted in
the Cabinet Crisis of 1923. The anti-Wood sentiment of Filipino politicians ruptured on July 21, 1923
and the event that triggered it was the decision of Wood to reinstate Ray Conley, the chief of the vice
squad of the Manila police force who was accused of receiving money from gambling lords. The case
was spearheaded by Mr. Almario, the secretary of the City Mayor, who presented a faked telephone
conversation between Conley and some gamblers. When Manila Mayor Ramon Fernandez referred
the case to Gov. Wood, the latter advised the mayor to bring the case in court. The court acquitted
Conley and to save their face, Mayor Fernandez and Justice Secretary Jose P. Laurel requested Wood
to allow them to conduct an administrative investigation on Conley. Instead of granting their
request, Wood created a board composed on the Civil Service Director, the undersecretary of Justice
and an American Colonel of the Constabulary. The board found Conley not guilty and recommended
his reinstatement. Wood personally believes that Conley is innocent and the charges against him were
just fabrications of influential and well connected personalities who were affected by this anti-gambling
campaign. After he was acquitted, Conley resigned and Wood accepted it. Wood found him innocent of
bribery but he found him is guilty of keeping a mistress and for making false statements. Manila Mayor
Ramon Fernandez and Justice Secretary Jose P. Laurel felt insulted when they learned that the Board
created by Wood acquitted Conley. The decision put them in bad light because it implied that the case
they filed against Conley was weak. As a counter measure, they explained to the people that Conley was
acquitted not because he was innocent but because he was an American. Fernandez and Laurel
tendered their resignation and Senate President Quezon and Speaker Manuel Roxas also resigned as
members of the Council of State in support of Laurel and in protest of Wood's handling of the Conley
case. Gov. Wood tried to win back the support of those Filipino officials who gave up their
position in his government. His gesture was not reciprocated and this prompted him to accept their
resignation and replace them with their deputies. At the height of the crisis, various accusations
were raised against Wood. Quezon and his allies also sent a cable to President Harding
informing him of the reasons why they resigned en masse. They also told the president that they were
planning to send a delegation to the United States that will explain to him Wood’s blatant disregard of
the rights and privileges granted to Filipinos by the previous administration. The document that will be
presented below basically summarizes the grievances and disgust of Filipino politicians who were
affected by Wood’s reforms and management style.

QUESTION:

1.) What are the injustices experienced by Filipinos from the Americans governor general?
>The U.S. Congress approved the Philippines Act on July 1, 1902, which provided the Philippines
with limited self-government. The U.S. government replaced the military government in the Philippines
with a civilian government headed by William Howard Taft on July 4, 1902.
2.) Do you think replacing the governor general would resolve the injustices on Filipinos? Explain
your answer. > YES, because the State should formulate policies, enact laws and provide mechanisms
that are in conformity with universal human rights standards.The State has the obligation to provide
the highest standard of living for its citizens by eradicating social, economic, political, cultural, ethnic
and gender inequalities.
3.) How effective are petition letter ? Can you cite a recent petition that has resolved a conflict in
this modern time? >The struggles between Wood and Filipino leaders enhanced the nationalistic spirit of
the people.

REFFERENCES; https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/xavier-university-ateneo-de-cagayan/
information-technology/filipino-grievances-against-governor-wood/8856198
KRISTINE RAZEL M. CANO BSE1A

REFFERENCES; https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/xavier-university-ateneo-de-cagayan/
information-technology/filipino-grievances-against-governor-wood/8856198