Readings in Philippine History
Lesson 2-7
Filipino Grievances Against
Governor Wood (Petition Letter)
Approved by the Commission on
Independence on November 17, 1926
Adrian Rey O. De Guzman, LPT, MBA
Filipino Grievances Against Governor Wood
FILIPINO GRIEVANCES AGAINST GOVERNOR WOOD
(PETITION LETTER)
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 us is 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 with
patient diligence to the task of meeting the conditions exacted on them, anxiously awaiting the day
when America would honor her promise.
Filipino Grievances Against Governor Wood
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 the
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.
Filipino Grievances Against Governor Wood
This line of conduct recently culminated in the issuance of Executive
Order No. 37, by which he has attempted to nullify laws creating the
Board of Control and assumed the functions of that body. The gravity of
this last step is more evident when we recall the series of usurpations
theretofore committed by him.
He has refused his assent to laws that were the most wholesome and
necessary for the public good.
He has set at naught both the legal authority and responsibility for the
Philippine heads of departments.
He has substituted his constitutional advisers for a group of military
attaches without legal standing in the government and not responsible to
the people.
Filipino Grievances Against Governor Wood
He has reversed the policy of Filipinizing the service of the government by
appointing Americans even when Filipinos of proven capacity were available.
He has obstructed the carrying out of national economic policies duly
adopted by the Legislature, merely because they are in conflict with his
personal views.
He has rendered merely perfunctory the power of the Legislature to pass the
annual appropriation law by revising items in the law of the preceding year,
after vetoing the corresponding items of the current appropriation act, in
flagrant violation of the Organic Law.
He had used certain public funds to grant additional compensation to public
officials in clear violation of law.
Filipino Grievances Against Governor Wood
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
than its powers involved an unlawful delegation of legislative authority.
He has unduly interfered in the administration of justice.
He has refused to submit to obtain the advice of the Senate in making
appointments where such advice is required by the Organic Act.
He has continued in office nominees whose appointments had been
rejected by the Senate.
He has usurped legislative powers by imposing conditions on legislative
measures approved by him.
Filipino Grievances Against Governor Wood
He has, in the administration of affairs in Mindanao, brought about a
condition which has given rise to discord and dissension between
resident Americans and Filipinos.
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 American
interests.
He has sanctioned the campaign of insidious propaganda in the United
States against the Filipino people and their aspirations.
He has attempted to close the Philippine National Bank so necessary to
the economic development of the country.
Filipino Grievances Against Governor Wood
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.
He has insistently sought the amendment of our land laws approved by the
Congress of the United States, which amendment would open up the
resources of our country to exploitation by predatory interests.
Not content with these and other arbitrary acts, the Governor-General has
recently promulgated Executive Order No. 37, declaring that the laws
creating and defining the powers of the Board of Control which is
authorized to vote the stocks owned by the government in certain private
corporations, are absolute nullities.
Filipino Grievances Against Governor Wood
In the same order the Governor-General also announced his purpose to exercise
solely and by himself the powers and duties developing upon said board. This
executive order is purported to be based on an opinion rendered by the Judge
Advocate General of the United States Army and the confirmatory opinion of the
Acting Advocate General on November 7. Despite this fact, he has found it
convenient to withhold the publication of his order until November 10, a few
hours after the Legislature had adjourned, thus depriving the Legislature of the
opportunity to consider the matter. The laws creating and defining the powers of
the Board of Control have been in force and acted upon by the present
Governor-General and other officers of the government for a number of years,
and they have neither been repealed by the Legislature, annulled by the
government for Congress, nor declared unconstitutional by the courts.
Filipino Grievances Against Governor Wood
To hold that the Governor-General by a more executive order can set
them aside, is to subvert the whole system of constitutional
government and destroy the theory of separation of powers which the
Governor-General has always been so intent in upholding. 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 rights 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,
Filipino Grievances Against Governor Wood
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,
The consciousness of our sacred and inescapable duty to our
country and our sense of loyalty to the people of the United
States constrain us to denounce the foregoing acts of the present
Governor-General as arbitrary, oppressive and undemocratic.
We appeal to the Judgment and conscience of the American
people in justification of our stand and for the vindication of our
rights.
