José Yulo

José Yulo Yulo (September 24, 1894 – October 27, 1976) was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (May 7, 1942 – July 9, 1945) during the Japanese Occupation and was Speaker of the National Assembly of the Philippines from 1939 until World War II started in 1941. Yulo served in all of the branches of government: the legislative as House Speaker, congressman, and senator; the executive as Secretary of Justice and member of the Cabinet; and the judiciary as the Associate Justice and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He and his family also owned the Canlubang Sugar Estate that they bought in 1948.

José Yulo
5th Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives
Speaker of the National Assembly
In office
January 24, 1939  December 30, 1941
Appointed byNational Assembly
PresidentManuel L. Quezon
Preceded byGil Montilla
Succeeded byBenigno Aquino Sr.
Senator of the Philippines
In office
July 9, 1945  May 28, 1946
6th Chief Justice of the Philippines
In office
May 7, 1942  July 9, 1945
Nominated byJapanese Military Administration
Preceded byJosé Abad Santos
Succeeded byManuel V. Moran
39th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
In office
February 5, 1942  May 7, 1942
Appointed byManuel L. Quezon
Member of the Philippine National Assembly from Negros Occidental's 3rd district
In office
December 30, 1938  December 30, 1941
Preceded byGil Montilla
Succeeded byRaymundo Vargas
Secretary of Justice
In office
January 1, 1966  August 4, 1967
PresidentFerdinand Marcos
Preceded bySalvador Marino
Succeeded byClaudio Teehankee
In office
July 6, 1934  November 15, 1938
Appointed byFrank Murphy
PresidentManuel Quezon
Preceded byQuirico Abeto
Succeeded byJosé Abad Santos
Personal details
Born
José Yulo Yulo

(1894-09-24)September 24, 1894
Bago, Negros Occidental, Captaincy General of the Philippines
DiedOctober 27, 1976(1976-10-27) (aged 82)
Makati, Philippines[1]
Political partyNacionalista
Other political
affiliations
Liberal (1946-1957)
SpouseCecilia Sitchon Araneta
ChildrenElena Yulo Quiros, Jose Yulo Jr., Luis Yulo, Ramon Yulo, Cecilia Yulo Locsin, Jesus Miguel Yulo
Alma materUniversity of the Philippines
ProfessionLawyer

Early life and career

José Yulo and Manuel L. Quezon, the forefathers of the National Bureau of Investigation, on a 2011 stamp of the Philippines

Yulo was born on September 24, 1894, in Bago, Negros Occidental to Sofronio Yulo and Segunda Yulo.[1] He obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of the Philippines and placed third in the Philippine Bar Examination of 1913; however, due to his age, did not practice law until two years later. He became distinguished as one of the best corporation lawyers in the Philippines.

Appointed as Justice Secretary by Governor-General Frank Murphy and President Manuel L. Quezon in 1934 and 1935, he was elected to the National Assembly of the Philippines representing the province of Negros Occidental, becoming its Speaker under the ruling Nacionalista Party on its convening session in 1939.

The 1935 Philippine Constitution was amended in 1940 changing the unicameral legislature system into a bicameral system; thus the National Assembly was divided into a Senate and a House of Representatives. Yulo remained as Speaker of the National Assembly.

Yulo was elected to the Senate in 1941 for the 1st Congress of the Commonwealth of the Philippines but did not serve immediately as he was arrested by the US Army's Counter-Intelligence Corps (CIC) because he had worked in various capacities under the Japanese-sponsored Philippine Government. Following the Japanese conquest of the Philippines in 1942, he became a member of the Preparatory Committee for Philippine Independence, and upon the establishment of the Second Philippine Republic in 1943, was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He is the only former Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines to be subsequently appointed Chief Justice.[2] He finally served his elected Senate term in 1945, lasting until 1946.

Accomplishments

Despite the difficulties experienced under Japanese occupation, Yulo attempted to maintain the integrity of the judiciary despite pressure from the Japanese military to sway in decisions on certain cases.

Postwar years

Yulo was the vice presidential candidate of the Liberal Party in 1953 as the running mate of incumbent President Elpidio Quirino. He eventually lost to Senator Carlos P. Garcia, while Quirino lost his re-election bid to former National Defense Secretary Ramon Magsaysay.

He was the presidential candidate of the Liberal Party in the 1957 presidential election, eventually losing to Garcia, who is the incumbent President this time, once again. His running mate, Pampanga's 1st district representative Diosdado Macapagal, won the vice presidential race.

Yulo was later appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos as Secretary of Justice, and served from January 1, 1966, to August 4, 1967.

Death

Yulo died of respiratory failure as a result of atherosclerosis at Makati Medical Center in Makati at 10:10 am on October 27, 1976. He was buried in Canlubang, Calamba, Laguna on October 30, 1976.[1]

References

  1. Jose Yulo's Death Certificate. familysearch.org
  2. Cruz, Isagani A. (2000). Res Gestae: A Brief History of the Supreme Court. Rex Book Store, Manila
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