1946 Philippine presidential election

* * *

| <- 1943 | April 23, 1946 | 1949 ->

|
|

|  |  |

|
|

Nominee  | Manuel Roxas | Sergio Osmeña |
Party  | Liberal | Nacionalista
Running mate  | Elpidio Quirino | Eulogio Rodriguez
Popular vote  | 1,333,392 | 1,129,996
Percentage  | 53.94% | 45.71%

* * *

* * *

| President before election

Sergio Osmeña
Nacionalista

| Elected President

Manuel Roxas
Liberal

|

1946 Philippine vice presidential election

* * *

| <- 1941 | April 23, 1946 | 1949 ->

|
|

|  |  |

|
|

Candidate  | Elpidio Quirino | Eulogio Rodriguez
Party  | Liberal | Nacionalista
Popular vote  | 1,161,725  | 1,051,243
Percentage  | 52.36% | 47.38%

* * *

| Vice President before election

Vacant (Sergio Osmeña in previous election)

| Elected Vice President

Elpidio Quirino
Liberal

|

Politics of the Philippines

Government

* Constitution of the Philippines

* Charter Change

* * *

* Laws
* Legal codes
* Taxation

Executive

* President of the Philippines

* Bongbong Marcos (PFP)

* Vice President of the Philippines

* Sara Duterte (HNP)

* * *

* Cabinet (lists)
* Executive departments

* Local government

Legislature

* Congress of the Philippines

* 19th Congress

* * *

* Senate

* President Francis Escudero (Independent)

* * *

* House of Representatives

* Speaker Martin Romualdez (Lakas)

* Districts
* Party-list representation

* * *

* Bangsamoro Parliament
* Provincial boards
* City councils
* Municipal councils
* Barangay councils

Judiciary

* Supreme Court of the Philippines

* Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo

* * *

* Court of Appeals
* Court of Tax Appeals
* Sandiganbayan
* Ombudsman
* Regional Trial Courts
* Barangay justice

Constitutional commissions

* Civil Service Commission

* Chairperson Marilyn Barua-Yap

* * *

* Commission on Audit

* Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba

* * *

* Commission on Elections

* Chairperson George Garcia

Elections

* General
* 2019
* 2022
* 2025

* Barangay
* 2013
* 2018
* 2023

* Referendums

Political parties

* Akbayan
* Aksyon
* Lakas
* LDP
* Liberal
* Nacionalista
* NPC
* NUP
* PFP
* Reporma
* PDP
* UNA

Administrative divisions

* Capital
* Regions
* Autonomous regions
* Provinces
* Cities
* Municipalities
* Barangays
* Poblacions
* Sitios
* Puroks

Related topics

* Foreign relations
* Human rights

Philippines portal

* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

The 1946 Philippine presidential and vice presidential elections were held on April 23, 1946, according to Commonwealth Act No. 725. Incumbent president Sergio Osmeña ran for a full term but was defeated by Senator Manuel Roxas. Meanwhile, senator Elpidio Quirino defeated fellow senator Eulogio Rodriguez to become vice president.

## Background

[edit]

Soon after the reconstitution of the Commonwealth government in 1945, Senators Manuel Roxas, Elpidio Quirino, and their allies called for an early national election to choose the president and vice president of the Philippines, as well as the members of Congress. In December 1945, the House Insular Affairs Committee of the United States Congress approved the joint resolution, setting the election date by April 30, 1946.

Prompted by this congressional action, President Sergio Osmeña called the Philippine Congress to a three-day special session. Congress enacted Commonwealth Act No. 725, setting the election date on April 23, 1946. President Osmeña signed the act on January 5, 1946.

## Candidates

[edit]

Three parties presented their respective candidates for the different national elective positions. These were the Nacionalista Party, the Conservative (Osmeña) Wing, the Liberal Wing of the Nacionalista Party, and the Partido Modernista. The Nacionalistas had Osmeña and Senator Eulogio Rodriguez as their candidates for President and vice president, respectively. The Modernistas chose Hilario Camino Moncado and Luis Salvador for the same positions. On the other hand, the standard bearers of the Liberals were Senators Manuel Roxas and Elpidio Quirino.

On January 3, 1946, President Osmeña announced his candidacy for President. On January 22, 1946, Eulogio Rodriguez was nominated as Osmeña's running mate for Vice President in a convention held at Ciro's Club in Manila. According to the Manila Chronicle:

> The convention opened at 10:15 in the morning when the acting secretary of the party, Vicente Farmoso, called the confab to order.

> Congressman Jose C. Romero, who delivered the keynote speech, accused Senate President Manuel Roxas and his followers of fanning the flames of discontent among the people, capitalizing on the people's hardship, and minimizing the accomplishment of the [Osmeña] Administration. These men with the Messiah complex have been the country's and world's bane. This is the mentality that produces Hitlers and Mussolinis, and in their desire to climb to power, they even want to destroy the party which placed them where they are today.

> Senator Carlos P. Garcia, who delivered the nomination speech for President Sergio Osmeña, recited Osmeña's achievements and virtues as a public official and private citizen.

> Entering the convention hall at about 7:30 p.m., President Osmeña, accompanied by the committee on notification, was greeted with cheer and applause as he ascended the platform. President Osmeña delivered his speech, a general outline of his plans once elected. He emphasized that as far as his party is concerned, independence is a close issue. It was coming on July 4, 1946.[1]

On January 19, 1946, Senator Roxas announced his candidacy for President in a convention held in Santa Ana Cabaret in Makati, Rizal. According to the Manila Chronicle:

...more than three thousand (by conservative estimates, there were only 1,000 plus) delegates, party members, and hero worshipers jammed into suburban, well-known Santa Ana Cabaret (biggest in the world) to acclaim ex-katipunero and Bagong Katipunan organizer Manuel Acuña Roxas as the guidon bearer of the Nacionalista Party's Liberal Wing.

> The delegates from all over the Islands met in a formal convention from 10:50 a.m. and broke up at about 5:30 p.m.

> They elected 1. Mariano J. Cuenco, professional Osmeñaphobe, as temporary chairman; 2. Jose Avelino and ex-pharmacist Antonio Zacarias, permanent chairman and secretary, respectively; 3. nominated forty-four candidates for senators; 4. heard the generalissimo himself deliver an oratorical masterpiece consisting of 50 per cent attacks against the (Osmeña) Administration, 50 per cent promises, pledges. Rabid Roxasites greeted the Roxas acceptance speech with hysterical applause.[2]

President Osmeña tried to prevent the split in the Nacionalista Party by offering Senator Roxas the position of Philippine Regent Commissioner to the United States, but the latter turned down the offer.

As a result of the split among the members of the Nacionalista Party, owing to marked differences of opinion on specific vital issues of which no settlement had been reached, a new political organization was born and named the Liberal Wing of the Nacionalista Party, which would later become the Liberal Party.

## Results

[edit]

Manuel Roxas (right) and Elpidio Quirino (left)

The election was generally peaceful and orderly except in some places where passions ran high, especially in Pampanga. According to the "controversial" decision of the Electoral Tribunal of the House of Representatives on Meliton Soliman vs. Luis Taruc, Pampanga "was under the terroristic clutches and control of the Hukbalahaps. So terrorized were the people of Arayat were terrorized; at one time, 200 persons abandoned their homes, work, food, and belongings in a mass evacuation to the Poblacion due to fear and terror."

A total of 2,596,880 voters went to the polls to elect their President and Vice President, who was to be the Commonwealth's last and the Republic's first. President Osmena chose not to actively campaign, saying the Filipinos knew his record of 40 years of loyal service to the country.

Four days after election day, the Liberal candidates were proclaimed victors. Roxas registered a majority of votes in 34 provinces and nine cities: Abra, Agusan, Albay, Antique, Bataan, Batanes, Batangas, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Capiz, Cavite, Cotabato, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Laguna, La Union, Leyte, Marinduque, Mindoro, Misamis Oriental, Negros Occidental, Nueva Vizcaya, Palawan, Pangasinan, Rizal, Romblon, Samar, Sorsogon, Sulu, Surigao, Tayabas, Zambales, Manila, Quezon City, Bacolod (Negros Occidental), Iloilo City (Iloilo), Baguio (Mountain Province), Zamboanga City (Zamboanga), Tagaytay (Cavite), Cavite City (Cavite) and San Pablo City (Laguna)

Likewise, the Liberal Party won nine out of 16 contested senatorial seats.

In the House of Representatives, the Liberals achieved a majority with 50 seats won, while the Nacionalistas and the Democratic Alliance were only victorious in 33 and six seats, respectively.

### President

[edit]

#### Summary

[edit]

Candidate| Party| Votes| %

|
|
|

| Manuel Roxas| Nacionalista Party (Liberal wing)[a]| 1,333,006| 53.93
| Sergio Osmeña| Nacionalista Party[a]| 1,129,994| 45.72
| Hilario Moncado| Modernist Party| 8,538| 0.35
Total| 2,471,538| 100.00
Valid votes| 2,471,538| 95.17
Invalid/blank votes| 125,342| 4.83
Total votes| 2,596,880| 100.00
Registered voters/turnout| 2,898,604| 89.59
Source: Nohlen, Grotz, Hartmann, Hasall and Santos[3]

1. ^ a b The Nacionalista Party was split into two wings: those who supported Osmeña or the "conservative wing", and those who supported Roxas or the "liberal wing". The liberal wing eventually split off after the election and became the Liberal Party.

| Popular vote

|  |
Roxas |

| 53.93%
Osmeña |

| 45.72%
Moncado |

| 0.35%

#### By province/city

[edit]

Province/City | Roxas | Osmeña | Moncado

|
|
|

|  |
Abra | 6,760 | 3,813  | 18
Agusan | 9,354 | 9,219  | 26
Albay | 25,940 | 24,344  | 13
Antique | 18,271 | 12,952  | 19
Bataan | 9,468 | 8,309  | 4
Batanes | 1,326 | 705  | 20
Batangas | 56,410 | 24,118  | 37
Bohol | 30,592  | 40,285 | 308
Bukidnon | 3,011 | 2,451  | 150
Bulacan | 39,799 | 38,549  | 38
Cagayan | 15,514  | 25,605 | 365
Camarines Norte | 10,471 | 5,482  | 4
Camarines Sur | 33,267 | 24,214  | 21
Capiz | 41,844 | 18,161  | 14
Catanduanes | 5,477  | 8,698 | 4
Cavite | 38,111 | 11,196  | 19
Cebu | 53,848  | 98,700 | 792
Cotabato | 17,826 | 16,490  | 66
Culion Leper Colony | 47  | 420 | 0
Davao | 11,896  | 19,226 | 1,536
Ilocos Norte | 25,464 | 12,097  | 243
Ilocos Sur | 30,322 | 16,530  | 34
Iloilo | 79,136 | 43,522  | 25
Isabela | 17,431 | 9,220  | 437
La Union | 22,499 | 14,845  | 157
Laguna | 36,527 | 22,246  | 26
Lanao | 17,212  | 37,101 | 991
Leyte | 64,236 | 49,965  | 155
Manila | 82,457 | 31,513  | 172
Marinduque | 10,596 | 2,487  | 8
Masbate | 9,730  | 12,207 | 27
Mindoro | 14,025 | 9,240  | 6
Misamis Occidental | 11,165  | 15,926 | 848
Misamis Oriental | 14,307 | 12,737  | 153
Mountain Province | 8,490  | 11,369 | 468
Negros Occidental | 62,605 | 52,982  | 58
Negros Oriental | 13,262  | 25,594 | 171
Nueva Ecija | 29,478  | 41,616 | 28
Nueva Vizcaya | 7,458 | 3,664  | 9
Palawan | 6,317 | 5,164  | 7
Pampanga | 11,296  | 69,505 | 42
Pangasinan | 82,081 | 64,794  | 56
Rizal | 60,103 | 35,418  | 101
Romblon | 9,200 | 3,560  | 17
Samar | 37,553 | 30,793  | 82
Sorsogon | 20,715 | 17,528  | 6
Sulu | 6,833  | 9,228 | 6
Surigao | 15,053 | 12,795  | 85
Tarlac | 16,868  | 26,193 | 39
Tayabas | 50,224 | 10,954  | 16
Zambales | 15,811 | 6,853  | 16
Zamboanga | 15,706  | 19,413 | 595
Total | 1,333,392 | 1,129,996  | 8,538
Source: Bureau of the Census and Statistics[4]

### Vice-President

[edit]

#### Summary

[edit]

Candidate| Party| Votes| %

|
|
|

| Elpidio Quirino| Nacionalista Party (Liberal wing)[a]| 1,161,725| 52.36
| Eulogio Rodriguez| Nacionalista Party[a]| 1,051,243| 47.38
| Lou Salvador| Modernist Party| 5,879| 0.26
Total| 2,218,847| 100.00
Valid votes| 2,218,847| 85.44
Invalid/blank votes| 378,033| 14.56
Total votes| 2,596,880| 100.00
Registered voters/turnout| 2,898,604| 89.59
Source: Nohlen, Grotz, Hartmann, Hasall and Santos[5]

1. ^ a b The Nacionalista Party was split into two wings: those who supported Osmeña or the "conservative wing", and those who supported Roxas or the "liberal wing". The liberal wing eventually split off after the election and became the Liberal Party.

| Popular vote

|  |
Quirino |

| 52.36%
Rodriguez |

| 47.38%
Salvador |

| 0.26%

#### By province/city

[edit]

Province/City | Quirino | Rodriguez | Salvador

|
|
|

|  |
Abra | 6,894 | 3,092  | 7
Agusan | 8,540 | 8,131  | 11
Albay | 23,445 | 21,696  | 12
Antique | 16,749 | 12,026  | 55
Bataan | 6,424  | 8,245 | 17
Batanes | 1,466 | 221  | 6
Batangas | 32,185 | 22,195  | 111
Bohol | 26,290  | 34,296 | 167
Bukidnon | 2,899 | 2,138  | 99
Bulacan | 29,277  | 38,881 | 50
Cagayan | 21,826 | 17,226  | 238
Camarines Norte | 10,013 | 4,894  | 4
Camarines Sur | 31,282 | 23,052  | 24
Capiz | 36,845 | 17,494  | 11
Catanduanes | 5,164  | 8,645 | 4
Cavite | 22,688 | 17,882  | 28
Cebu | 50,495  | 92,253 | 524
Cotabato | 17,366 | 11,718  | 68
Culion Leper Colony | 100  | 329 | 1
Davao | 12,015  | 17,629 | 1,090
Ilocos Norte | 26,727 | 9,672  | 109
Ilocos Sur | 36,158 | 9,460  | 12
Iloilo | 68,520 | 40,343  | 42
Isabela | 19,800 | 5,786  | 208
La Union | 29,126 | 6,860  | 104
Laguna | 17,724  | 30,552 | 26
Lanao | 12,638  | 26,787 | 594
Leyte | 55,873 | 43,776  | 139
Manila | 67,228 | 43,197  | 139
Marinduque | 6,405 | 4,181  | 27
Masbate | 8,378  | 10,066 | 32
Mindoro | 12,370 | 7,423  | 7
Misamis Occidental | 8,835  | 15,046 | 334
Misamis Oriental | 12,245 | 10,172  | 132
Mountain Province | 11,340 | 6,530  | 221
Negros Occidental | 56,527 | 47,011  | 63
Negros Oriental | 11,869  | 23,000 | 83
Nueva Ecija | 27,949  | 38,690 | 46
Nueva Vizcaya | 7,095 | 3,486  | 21
Palawan | 6,219 | 4,691  | 7
Pampanga | 9,291  | 64,566 | 119
Pangasinan | 84,775 | 56,806  | 45
Rizal | 35,512  | 54,896 | 50
Romblon | 7,482 | 3,060  | 24
Samar | 34,920 | 25,586  | 140
Sorsogon | 19,455 | 15,980  | 10
Sulu | 5,953  | 7,640 | 5
Surigao | 13,800 | 11,768  | 56
Tarlac | 17,523  | 22,813 | 50
Tayabas | 39,338 | 15,966  | 35
Zambales | 15,370 | 4,928  | 39
Zamboanga | 13,317  | 18,462 | 433
Total | 1,161,725 | 1,051,243  | 5,879
Source: Bureau of the Census and Statistics[4]

## See also

[edit]

* Commission on Elections
* Politics of the Philippines
* Philippine elections
* President of the Philippines
* 1st Congress of the Philippines

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Celso G. Cabrera. "Rodriguez is Nominated as Osmeña's Running-Mate," Manila Chronicle, January 22, 1946, p. 2
2. ^ "Conventions Climax Hectic Week," Manila Chronicle This week, January 27, 1946, p. 3
3. ^ Dieter Nohlen; Florian Grotz; Christof Hartmann; Graham Hassall; Soliman M. Santos.
Elections in Asia and the Pacific: A Data Handbook: Volume II: South East Asia, East Asia, and the South Pacific.
4. ^ a b Bulletin of Philippine Statistics No. 1. Vol. II. Bureau of Printing. 1946. p. 72.
5. ^ Dieter Nohlen; Florian Grotz; Christof Hartmann; Graham Hassall; Soliman M. Santos.
Elections in Asia and the Pacific: A Data Handbook: Volume II: South East Asia, East Asia, and the South Pacific.

## External links

[edit]

* The Philippine Presidency Project
* Official website of the Commission on Elections

* v
* t
* e

Candidates in the 1946 Philippine presidential election

Liberal Party|

| President:|

* Manuel Roxas (won)

|

Vice President:|

* Elpidio Quirino (won)

Nacionalista Party|

| President:|

* Sergio Osmeña

|

Vice President:|

* Eulogio Rodriguez

Other third party candidates|

| President:|

* Hilario Moncado

|

Vice President:|

* Luis Salvador

* v
* t
* e

Presidential elections in the Philippines

Direct elections|

* 1935
* 1941
* 1946
* 1949
* 1953
* 1957
* 1961
* 1965
* 1969
* 1981
* 1986
* 1992
* 1998
* 2004
* 2010
* 2016
* 2022

Candidates|

* 1935
* 1941
* 1946
* 1949
* 1953
* 1957
* 1961
* 1965
* 1969
* 1981
* 1986
* 1992
* 1998
* 2004
* 2010
* 2016
* 2022

Canvassing|

* 1935
* 1941
* 1946
* 1949
* 1953
* 1957
* 1961
* 1965
* 1969
* 1981
* 1986
* 1992
* 1998
* 2004
* 2010
* 2016
* 2022

Polling|

* 1935
* 1941
* 1946
* 1949
* 1953
* 1957
* 1961
* 1965
* 1969
* 1981
* 1986
* 1992
* 1998
* 2004
* 2010
* 2016
* 2022

Indirect elections|

* 1899
* 1943

Referendums|

* 1973
* 1977

Katipunan conferences|

* Imus Assembly (1896)
* Tejeros Convention (March 1897)
* Biak-na-Bato conference (November 1897)

* Tydings–McDuffie Act
* People Power Revolution
* Hello Garci scandal
* Elections in the Philippines
* Provincial results
* Election tickets
* Campaign slogans

* v
* t
* e

Elections and referendums in the Philippines

General elections|

* 1898
* 1907
* 1909
* 1912
* 1916
* 1919
* 1922
* 1925
* 1928
* 1931
* 1934
* 1935
* 1941
* 1943
* 1946
* 1949
* 1953
* 1957
* 1961
* 1965
* 1969
* 1978
* 1984
* 1987
* 1992
* 1995
* 1998
* 2001
* 2004
* 2007
* 2010
* 2013
* 2016
* 2019
* 2022
* 2025

Presidential elections|

* 1935
* 1941
* 1946
* 1949
* 1953
* 1957
* 1961
* 1965
* 1969
* 1981
* 1986
* 1992
* 1998
* 2004
* 2010
* 2016
* 2022

Senate elections|

* 1916
* 1919
* 1922
* 1925
* 1928
* 1931
* 1934
* 1941
* 1946
* 1947
* 1949
* 1951
* 1953
* 1955
* 1957
* 1959
* 1961
* 1963
* 1965
* 1967
* 1969
* 1971
* 1987
* 1992
* 1995
* 1998
* 2001
* 2004
* 2007
* 2010
* 2013
* 2016
* 2019
* 2022
* 2025

House elections|

* 1898
* 1907
* 1909
* 1912
* 1916
* 1919
* 1922
* 1925
* 1928
* 1931
* 1934
* 1935
* 1938
* 1941
* 1943
* 1946
* 1949
* 1953
* 1957
* 1961
* 1965
* 1969
* 1978
* 1984
* 1987
* 1992
* 1995
* 1998
* 2001
* 2004
* 2007
* 2010
* 2013
* 2016
* 2019
* 2022
* 2025

Constitutional conventions|

* 1934
* 1970

Local elections|

* 1895
* 1899
* 1905
* 1909
* 1912
* 1919
* 1922
* 1925
* 1928
* 1931
* 1934
* 1937
* 1941
* 1943
* 1947
* 1951
* 1955
* 1959
* 1963
* 1967
* 1971
* 1980
* 1988
* 1992
* 1995
* 1998
* 2001
* 2004
* 2007
* 2010
* 2013
* 2016
* 2019
* 2022
* 2025

Barangay elections|

* 1960
* 1962
* 1964
* 1968
* 1972
* 1982
* 1989
* 1994
* 1997
* 2002
* 2007
* 2010
* 2013
* 2018
* 2023

Referendums|

* 1599
* 1935
* 1937
* 1939
* 1940
* 1947
* 1967
* 1973 (Jan)
* 1973 (Jul)
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1981 (Apr)
* 1981 (Jun)
* 1984
* 1987

* Per year
* Per type
* Presidential
* Senatorial
* Barangay
* Special
* Local elections and plebiscites

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template