Talk:José Abad-Santos

--124.104.37.89 01:49, 23 January 2008 (UTC) [[Philippine Heroes - Jose Abad Santos y Basco (1886 - 1942)

Jose Abad Santos was born on February 19, 1886 in San Fernando, Pampanga. His father was Vicente Abad Santos. His mother was Toribia Basco. His wife was Amanda Teopaco. They had five children - Jose, Osmundo, Luz, Amada and Victoria.

Jose finished his elementary education ini San Fernando Elementary School. His parents sent him to Santa Clara College in San Jose, California in 1904 where he finished high school. He studied law at the University of Illinois but completed his Bachelor of Laws degree at Northwestern University on June 4, 1908, He finished his Master of Laws at George Washington University on June 19,1909.

He worked as a temporary clerk in the Archives Division of the Executive Bureau when he returned to the Philippines. Later, he was appointed clerk at the Bureau of Justice, He also hold the position of a court interpreter when he passed the bar examinations on October 12, 1911.

He was chosen assistant-attorney at the Bureau of Justice on July 13, 1914. He became the special attorney of the Philippine National Bank on July 16,1918. He was again appointed assistant attorney at the Bureau of Justice in 1919. He served as one of the six technical advisers of the First Parliamentary Independence Mission to the United States. He retired when he was assistant attorney and legal counsel of the PNB.

He was appointed Under Secretary of Justice on January 1922. He Was also selected as Secretary of Justice under Governor-General Leonard Wood. It lasted until June 28,1932. For the third time, he swore as the Secretary of Justice on December 5, 1938. He stayed as Justice Secretary until July 16,1941. On December 24 of the same year, he was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

At the outbreak of World War II, he also served as Acting Secretary of Finance, Agriculture and Commerce in the Quezon War Cabinet aside from being Secretary of Justice.

When Manuel Quezon went to Washington D.C. he temporarily took over as head of the government.

The Japanese seized Abad Santos near Carcar, Cebu. They asked him to tell Gen. Manuel Roxas to withdraw his allegiance from the United States. Abad Santos refused.

At two o'clock on May 12, 1942 he met his death from the hands of the Japanese.