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tives of our Constitution
and of a few
of the existing laws.
But you should not
concern yourselves
with them because
inasmuch as they
are under the ExecutiveDepartment,
you can apprise
the respective Department Secretaries of their wrong acts
or policies which are not in conformity with my Administration. I
promise you that I shall reprove any Department Secretary whom
you should approach; if you could show proofs that he had violated
my policy. Although judges who violate the law , or accept
bribe, or commit any act of injustice, my not be removed from
their position, still their decisions may be appealed to the Supreme
Court; and we can rest assured that the decisions of this
tribunal would be honest, just and equitable. While it is true that
I appoint the judges, yet I cannot remove them or do anything
against them as long as they do not commit any wrong.
My countrymen, for your right to be respected, for you to
attain what is your due, and for you to improve your livelihood, it
is not necessary for me to supply you with guns. I am confident
that, through my Administration, your rights will be upheld in the
courts. [Applause] I shall always adopt measures designed to
maintain peace and order. If I were to give you guns, it would
seem as if we were having a civil war here. What will other nations
say about us if they learn that social justice has triumphed
in our country only because all the people have been armed with
guns?
You must recognize not only my authority but also the powers
of the municipal authorities. Your municipal mayors are the heads
of your towns; your governor is the executive of your province. It
is necessary that you respect them. If they commit any wrong,
file charges against the erring officials, I will take care of them.
[Applause] But as long as they hold their positions, it is necessary
that you recognize their authority.
You must not maintain another from of government. In every
country there must be only one government, and all must recognize
that government. You cannot simply organize associations
and afterward recognize only their authority; such associations
are not vested with authority like the government. If the heads
of your associations have any complaints to make, they should go
to the corresponding authorities of the government, as, for instance,
the Secretary of the Interior. It is not proper for you to
decide matters among yourselves alone and start disturbances by
blowing the tambuli, and, finally, shouting “Go ahead!” I am
speaking to you as a friend to a friend, and as an associate who
understands you. I know that you have faith in me, and I believe
that you can perceive that it is my heart that speaks today and
not simply my lips. [Applause]
I will now answer the complaints voiced by Mr. Pedro Abad
Santos. He said that there are judges who utilize their position in
order to abuse you and cause you misery. If you can show evidence
against any judge who has been abusive, he can be dismissed.
But if the judges have not committed any wrong, I do not
think it is justified to remove them from office; I cannot do anything
against them. In the Cuevo-Barredo case, while I considered
the verdict of the judge as unjust, yet I could not do anything
against him; it was enough for me to say that his decision
was wrong. Because of this, many became my enemies, and almost
all the lawyers in the Philippines were opposed to my intervention.
Nevertheless, mad as they were at me, because it was
justice which I was seeking, I ignored them all in order only to
protect your rights. [Applause]
It seems to me
that Mr. Abad
Santos was right in
what he said about
the bail, and the
rich are not detained
because
they can furnish it.
[Applause] although
I had not
thought of that matter before; nevertheless, I learned about it
when I was informed of your trouble here. When I heard that the
poor could not furnish bail for their temporary release, I told
Secretary of Justice to find some remedy in order that the persons
accused of minor offenses could be released while their cases
were pending. [Applause] But those who are accused of crimes
cannot simply be permitted to leave jail immediately on bail. In
the meantime I may think of some good measures to remedy and
the matter and, afterwards, if what Mr. Abad Santos said seem
best to adopt, we shall do so; otherwise, better means can possibly
be thought of so that an accused person could be afforded an
opportunity to be out of jail while his case is pending in court. It
is necessary, however, that your leaders should promise me that,
once the matter is remedied, you would not create any trouble
nor violate the laws anymore. Should you still commit abuses,
then I would no longer help you seek amendments to the Tenancy
Law.
My countrymen, I will tell you now what I think of the trouble
here. But before I proceed, I wish to repeat what I have oftentimes
said in other places: I believe that our laborers do not receive
the share which corresponds to the work they perform [Applause],
especially in the sugar industry where the laborers deserve to
receive good pay because, of all Philippines industries, the sugar
industry is the only one that makes the greatest profits. The profits
from the sugar industry in our country come not only from the
capital invested by our capitalists in their plantations, but also
from help and protection extended to them by the Philippines
Government which allows them to export duty-free sugar to the
United States. This industry has a commissioner in the United
States who concludes agreements with the American Government
in order that our sugar men would be given certain preferences.
Up to now it is recognized that the entry of Philippines sugar into
the United States should not be stopped abruptly. Hence, the
Philippine Government has the right to ask sugar central owners
and landlords to give a decent share of their profits to the laborers,
inasmuch as they obtain such profits through the help of the
Government. [Applause] I did not say that only today. Once
when I spoke before landowners and sugar-central owners in Iloilo,
I likewise reminded them of their duty to look after the wellbeing
of the laborers, inasmuch as their industry makes profits
through the help of the government. The landowners here have
told me that I am to blame for your disorders. I told them: “That
is not true!” because I had previously told the labor leaders that
I would help them as long as they recognize and respect the law;
but that the moment they violated the law, I would no longer
side with them.
The share which sugar central owners give to the landowners
in Pampanga is smaller than that given in Negros. Up to the
present, the PASUDECO has been giving only 50%, although I heard
long ago that it would be increased eventually. In Negros, the
landowners and the tenants together used to get 55%, while 45%
was retained by the sugar central owners; at present it is 60% for
the sugar-cane planters, and 40% for the centrals. But in
Pampanga, as I have just said, the sharing proportion is still 50-
50. It is, therefore, necessary that centrals here should draw up
new contracts. However, it is not yet possible to re-up new their
YOU MUST NOT MAINTAIN ANOTHER FORM OF
GOVERNMENT.... YOU CANNOT SIMPLY ORGANIZE
ASSOCIATIONS AND RECOGNIZE ONLY THEIR
AUTHORITY.... IT IS NOT PROPER FOR YOU TO DECIDE
MATTERS AMONG YOURSELVES ALONE AND START
DISTURBANCES BY BLOWING THE TAMBULI.
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