Arsenio Hilario Sison Lacson Sr. (December 26, 1912 – April 15, 1962) was a
Filipino
Filipino may refer to:
* Something from or related to the Philippines
** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines.
** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
journalist and politician who gained widespread attention as
mayor of Manila
The City Mayor of Manila ( fil, Punong Lungsod ng Maynila, sometimes referred to as, ''Alkalde ng Maynila'') is the head of the executive branch of Manila's city government. The mayor holds office at Manila City Hall. Like all local government he ...
from 1952 to 1962. An active executive likened by ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' and ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' to
New York's
Fiorello La Guardia
Fiorello Henry LaGuardia (; born Fiorello Enrico LaGuardia, ; December 11, 1882September 20, 1947) was an American attorney and politician who represented New York in the House of Representatives and served as the 99th Mayor of New York City fro ...
,
he was the first Manila mayor to be reelected to three terms.
[ Nicknamed "Arsenic" and described as "a good man with a bad mouth",] Lacson's fiery temperament became a trademark of his political and broadcasting career. He died suddenly from a stroke amidst talk that he was planning to run in the 1965 presidential election.
Early life
Lacson was born in Talisay, Negros Occidental
Talisay, officially the City of Talisay ( hil, Dakbanwa sang Talisay; ceb, Dakbayan sa Talisay; fil, Lungsod ng Talisay), is a 4th class component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...
to Roman Ledesma Lacson, and his wife Rosario Sison. He was named after Philippine showman
Showman can have a variety of meanings, usually by context and depending on the country.
Australia
Travelling showmen are people who run amusement and side show equipment at regional shows, state capital shows, events and festivals througho ...
and journalist Arsenio Luz, whom his father greatly admired, and his grandfather Hilario Lacson. He was related to Aniceto Lacson
Aniceto Lacson y Ledesma (April 17, 1857 – February 3, 1931) was the first and only president of the Negros Republic from 1898 to 1901. He is notable for leading the Negros Revolution along with Juan Araneta, and was a sugar baron.Foreman, ...
, the president of the short-lived Republic of Negros
The Republic of Negros ( hil, Republika sang Negros; ceb, Republika sa Negros; es, República de Negros) was a short-lived revolutionary entity which had existed on the island of Negros first as a canton of the First Philippine Republic and l ...
.[ His niece, ]Rose
A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
, would later gain prominence as a controversial socialite in Australia.
A sickly lad, Lacson turned to athletics while a student at the Ateneo de Manila University
, mottoeng = Light in the Lord
, type = Private, research, non-profit, coeducational basic and higher education institution
, established = December 10, 1859
, religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Jesuits)
, academic_aff ...
, where he would obtain his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree. He became an amateur boxer while a student, accounting for his broken nose that later became a prominent feature of his profile.[Hancock, p. 15]
Lacson studied law at the University of Santo Tomas
The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Migue ...
. After graduating and passing the bar examinations
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar ( ...
in 1937, he joined the law office of future Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Vicente Francisco, and later, the Department of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
as an assistant attorney.[ Lacson also worked as a ]sportswriter
Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the n ...
before the outbreak of World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Sporting career
Football
Lacson was part of the collegiate team of the Ateneo de Manila University
, mottoeng = Light in the Lord
, type = Private, research, non-profit, coeducational basic and higher education institution
, established = December 10, 1859
, religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Jesuits)
, academic_aff ...
. He played at the halfback position. He was also part of the Philippine national football team
The Philippines national football team (Filipino/ tl, Pambansang koponan ng futbol ng Pilipinas, lit=) represents the Philippines in international football, governed by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) and has been playing internatio ...
and participated in tournaments such as the 1934 Far Eastern Championship Games.
World War II guerrilla
Lacson joined the armed resistance against the Japanese military
The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, th ...
which had invaded the Philippines in late 1941. He joined the Free Philippines
The Free Philippine Government ( Filipino: ''Pamahalaan ng Malayang Pilipinas'') is an unofficial provisional government based in Mindanao which claims to jurisdiction over unoccupied territories in the Philippines during the Japanese occupation of ...
underground movement, and acted as a lead scout during the Battle of Manila.[Hancock, p. 18] Lacson also fought in the battle for the liberation of Baguio
Baguio ( ,
), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
on April 26, 1945.
For his service during the war, Lacson received citations from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Sixth United States Army
Sixth Army is a theater army of the United States Army. The Army service component command of United States Southern Command, its area of responsibility includes 31 countries and 15 areas of special sovereignty in Central and South America and ...
.[ Years later, when asked by ]Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Nobusuke Kishi
was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960.
Known for his exploitative rule of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo in Northeast China in the 1930s, Kishi was nicknamed the "Monster of the Shō ...
if he had learned Japanese during the war, Lacson responded, "I was too busy shooting at Japanese to learn any."[
]
Journalism career
Lacson resumed his career in journalism after the war. He also had his own radio program called ''In This Corner'', where he delivered social and political commentary. Lacson became popular as a result of his radio show, but also earned the ire of President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Manuel Roxas
Manuel Acuña Roxas (born Manuel Roxas y Acuña; ; January 1, 1892 – April 15, 1948) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the fifth president of the Philippines, who served from 1946 until his death due to heart attacks in 19 ...
, whom he nicknamed "Manny the Weep". In 1947, President Roxas ordered Lacson's suspension from the airwaves.[Hancock, p. 17] The incident drew international attention after former United States Interior Secretary
The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natural ...
Harold L. Ickes
Harold LeClair Ickes ( ; March 15, 1874 – February 3, 1952) was an American administrator, politician and lawyer. He served as United States Secretary of the Interior for nearly 13 years from 1933 to 1946, the longest tenure of anyone to hold th ...
defended Roxas's action and in turn drew rebuke for such defense from the popular radio commentator Walter Winchell
Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and co ...
. During the post-war Lacson also wrote columns together with editor Jose Diokno
Jose Wright Diokno (February 26, 1922 – February 27, 1987), also known as "''Ka Pepe''", was a Filipino nationalist, lawyer, and politician. Regarded as the "Father of Human Rights Advocacy in the Philippines", he served as Senator of th ...
, and writers Teodoro Locsin Sr.
Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Montelibano Locsin (December 24, 1914 – January 22, 2000) was a journalist, publisher of The Philippines Free Press Magazine and father of current Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr.
Early life
Teodoro Mont ...
, and Phillip Buencamino in a newspaper they founded called the Free Philippines
The Free Philippine Government ( Filipino: ''Pamahalaan ng Malayang Pilipinas'') is an unofficial provisional government based in Mindanao which claims to jurisdiction over unoccupied territories in the Philippines during the Japanese occupation of ...
Newspaper.
Political career
House of Representatives
In the 1949 general elections, Lacson ran for and won a seat in the House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
, representing the 2nd District of Manila, which then consisted of the districts of Binondo
Binondo () is a district in Manila and is referred to as the city's Chinatown. Its influence extends beyond to the places of Quiapo, Santa Cruz, San Nicolas and Tondo. It is the oldest Chinatown in the world, established in 1594 by the ...
, Quiapo, San Nicolas and Santa Cruz. He was elected under the banner of the Nacionalista Party
The Nacionalista Party (Filipino and Spanish: ''Partido Nacionalista''; ) is the oldest political party in both the Philippines and in Southeast Asia in general. It is responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th ce ...
. During the two years he served in the House, Lacson was cited by the media assigned to cover Congress as among the "10 Most Useful Congressmen" for "his excellent display as a fiscalizer and a lawmaker".[Hancock, p. 19]['']The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' (April 16, 1962)
Mayor of Manila
It was only in 1951 that the office of Manila mayor became an elective position, following the amendment of its city charter. Representative Lacson successfully unseated incumbent Manila Mayor Manuel de la Fuente in the first ever mayoralty election in the city. He assumed the office of mayor on January 1, 1952, thus giving up his seat in the Congress. He was re-elected in 1955 and 1959. He immediately became known as a tough-minded reformist mayor, and in the 1950s, he and Zamboanga City
Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (Chavacano and es, Ciudad de Zamboanga, Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Dāira sin Sambuangan'', fil, Lungsod ng Zamboanga, ceb, Dakbayan sa Zamboanga), is a city in the Zamboanga Peninsula region ...
Mayor Cesar Climaco were touted as exemplars of good local governance. Climaco, in fact, was praised as "The Arsenio Lacson of the South".
At the time Lacson assumed office, Manila had around in debt, some of which had been contracted thirty years earlier, and had no money to pay its employees.[ Within three years, the debt had been reduced in half,][ and by 1959, the city had a budget surplus of and paid its employees twice the amount earned by other local government employees.][Hancock, p. 20] By that time, Lacson claimed that the income earned by Manila for the Philippines supported 70% of the salaries of the national government officials and members of Congress, as well as 70% of the expenses of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The ...
.[
Lacson embarked on crusades to maintain peace and order and good government in Manila. He fired 600 city employees for incompetence,][ and dismissed corrupt policemen.][ He personally led raids on ]brothel
A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...
s masquerading as massage parlor
A massage parlor (American English) or massage parlour (Canadian/British English) is a place where massage services are provided for a fee. In the 19th century, the term began to be used in English as a euphemism for a brothel.
Context
In 189 ...
s and on unauthorized market vendors.[ Lacson ordered bulldozers to clear a squatter colony in ]Malate
Malic acid is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a dicarboxylic acid that is made by all living organisms, contributes to the sour taste of fruits, and is used as a food additive. Malic acid has two stereoisomeric forms (L ...
that had stood since shortly after the war.[ Lacson established a mobile 60-car patrol unit that patrolled the city at all hours,][ and he himself would patrol the city at nights in a black police car.][ Lacson also established the ]Manila Zoo
The Manila Zoo, formally known as the Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden, is a zoo located in Malate, Manila, Philippines.
History
The Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden first opened to the public on July 25, 1959, during the tenure ...
and the first city underpass
A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube constr ...
, located in Quiapo, posthumously named after him.[
Throughout his ten years as mayor, Lacson maintained his radio program, which now aired over DZBB and would also later be broadcast on television. The broadcasts were pre-recorded in order to edit out his expletives and occasional foul language.][ He spoke out on air on national and international issues, and responded to critics who suggested that he confine himself to local Manila issues that he did not lose his right as a citizen to speak out on public affairs upon his election as mayor.][ He was a fervent critic of President ]Elpidio Quirino
Elpidio Rivera Quirino (born Elpidio Quirino y Rivera; ; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the sixth president of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953.
A lawyer by profession, Quirino ente ...
of the Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
.[ In 1952, upon the filing of a criminal libel complaint against Lacson by a judge whom he criticized on his radio show, Quirino suspended Lacson from office.] Lacson remained suspended for 73 days until the Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
voided the suspension order.
Though the hard-drinking, gun-toting Lacson projected an image of machismo
Machismo (; ; ; ) is the sense of being " manly" and self-reliant, a concept associated with "a strong sense of masculine pride: an exaggerated masculinity". Machismo is a term originating in the early 1930s and 1940s best defined as hav ...
, the author Nick Joaquin
Nicomedes "Nick" Marquez Joaquin (; May 4, 1917 – April 29, 2004) was a Filipino writer and journalist best known for his short stories and novels in the English language. He also wrote using the pen name Quijano de Manila. Joaquin was conferr ...
observed:
Peak years
In 1953, Lacson actively campaigned for Nacionalista presidential candidate Ramon Magsaysay
Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay Sr. (August 31, 1907 – March 17, 1957) was a Filipino statesman who served as the seventh president of the Philippines, from December 30, 1953, until his death in an aircraft disaster on March 17, 1957. An automo ...
, who would go on to defeat the incumbent Quirino. After President Magsaysay's death in a plane crash
An aviation accident is defined by the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft, which takes place from the time any person boards the aircraft with the ''intention of fl ...
months before the 1957 presidential election, Lacson claimed that Magsaysay had offered to name him as the Nacionalista candidate for vice president
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
, in lieu of incumbent Vice-President Carlos P. Garcia
Carlos Polestico Garcia (November 4, 1896 – June 14, 1971) was a Filipino teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official, political economist, guerrilla and Commonwealth military leader who was the eighth president of the Philippines. A l ...
.[ According to Lacson, he declined the offer, telling Magsaysay "the time has not yet come".][
Nonetheless, after Magsaysay's death, Lacson turned against the newly installed President Garcia, and considered running against Garcia in the 1957 election. In April 1957, Lacson went on a national tour in order to gauge his nationwide strength as a presidential candidate.][ While the tour indicated considerable popularity of Lacson in the provinces, his potential run was hampered by a lack of funding and a party machinery.][ It was believed that Lacson would have easily won the presidency in 1957 had he obtained the nomination of either his Nacionalista Party, then committed to Garcia, or the rival Liberal Party, which would select ]Jose Yulo
Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods.
*Jose ben Abin
*Jose ben Akabya
*Jose the Galilean ...
as its candidate. The American expatriate and tobacco industrialist Harry Stonehill, who was later indicted by Justice Secretary Jose W. Diokno for bribing officials, falsely claimed that Lacson had asked him to finance his campaign against Garcia. When Stonehill refused, Lacson decided not to run, and thereafter, staged a rally at Plaza Miranda where he denounced the United States and what he perceived as the subservience of the Philippine government to the Americans. In his career, Lacson was frequently tagged as anti-American,[ and he had criticized the United States for having no foreign policy "but just a pathological fear of communism".][
]
Meteoric rise and proposed presidential campaign with Jose W. Diokno
Garcia won in the 1957 election, and Lacson became a persistent critic of the President throughout his four-year term. In 1961, Lacson turned against the Nacionalista Party and supported the presidential candidacy of Vice-President Diosdado Macapagal of the Liberal Party. He was named Macapagal's national campaign manager and was attributed as "the moving spirit behind a nationwide drive that led to Macapagal's victory at the polls".[ Not long after Macapagal's election, Lacson returned to the Nacionalista Party and became increasingly critical of the President, explaining "I only promised to make Macapagal President, not agree with him forever."][ Lacson was considered as the likely presidential candidate of the Nacionalistas for the 1965 election, with his close friend attorney Jose W. Diokno as his intended running mate. Before becoming the justice secretary through Lacson's endorsement, Atty. Diokno previously defended the mayor and radio personality for libel charges against his talk show. Lacson would in turn often visit Diokno's ]Parañaque
Parañaque, officially the City of Parañaque ( fil, Lungsod ng Parañaque, ), is a first class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to t ...
home in the wee hours to make breakfast for Diokno and his wife Carmen. The lawyer and future senator often volunteered to edit Mayor Lacson's newspaper articles.[ Lacson garnered a huge level of fame that would have allowed him to win as president in the 1965 election. Unfortunately tragedy struck when Mayor Lacson suddenly died, allowing the party to select ]Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...
, an Ilocano politician who left the Liberal Party to give him an opportunity to run against partymate Macapagal.
Death
As mayor, Lacson had faced several attempts on his life. He twice disarmed gunmen who had attacked him, and survived an ambush as he was driving home one night.[ Yet it would be a stroke that ended Lacson's life at the age of 49. Some unconfirmed rumors claim that he was fatally stricken at a hotel suite while in the company of a popular local movie star, but the records show that he was alone in his hotel room.][ Lacson was buried at the ]Manila North Cemetery
The Manila North Cemetery (Spanish: ''Cementerio del Norte'') is one of the oldest cemeteries in Metro Manila, Philippines. The cemetery is owned by and located in the City of Manila, the national capital, and is one of the largest in the metropo ...
.
Personal life
Lacson was married to Luz Santiago and has 4 children.
Legacy
Numerous honors have been bestowed since the Mayor's passing. Places named after Lacson include the Lacson Underpass in Quiapo, while Plaza Goiti in Santa Cruz renamed into "Plaza Lacson
Plaza Lacson, also known by its old name, Plaza (de) Goiti, is a public square in Santa Cruz, Manila. It is bounded by Plaza Santa Cruz and Escolta Street to the west, Carlos Palanca Street (formerly Echague Street) to the south, and Carriedo S ...
", and Governor Forbes Avenue in Sampaloc and Santa Cruz was renamed into "Lacson Avenue
Lacson Avenue is the principal northwest–southeast artery located in Sampaloc, Manila, Sampaloc district in northern Manila, Philippines. It is a 6-8 lane median divided avenue that runs approximately from Tayuman Street in Santa Cruz, Manil ...
". In Plaza Lacson is one of Lacson's statues; another statue was erected along Roxas Boulevard
Roxas Boulevard is a popular waterfront promenade in Metro Manila in the Philippines. The boulevard, which runs along the shores of Manila Bay, is well known for its sunsets and stretch of coconut trees. The divided roadway has become a tradema ...
facing Manila Bay
Manila Bay ( fil, Look ng Maynila) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Phi ...
, this time of Lacson seated on a bench reading a newspaper, as he was a renowned journalist and reporter. Mayor Lacson was later honored with a statue outside the Manila City Hall
The Manila City Hall ( fil, Bulwagan ng Lungsod ng Maynila) is the official seat of government of the City of Manila, located in the historic center of Ermita, Manila. It is where the Mayor of Manila holds office and the chambers of the Manil ...
as one of the finest statesmen in history.
Notes
References
*
*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lacson, Arsenio
1912 births
1962 deaths
Ateneo de Manila University alumni
Filipino radio journalists
Paramilitary Filipinos
People from Negros Occidental
University of Santo Tomas alumni
Mayors of Manila
Nacionalista Party politicians
Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Manila
20th-century Filipino lawyers
Burials at the Manila North Cemetery
Philippines international footballers
Association football midfielders