2003, September 11. Cornelio T. Villareal, Sr. Birth Centenary
Litho Offset. Amstar Company, Inc., Perf. 14
Singles, Sheets of 50
6p
Cornelio T. Villareal Portrait by C.B. Lopez - Singles (113,000)
Design Coordinator:
Antonio D.A. Claro
Layout Artist:
Alfonso V. Divina
Design:
Bust portrait of Cornelio T. Villareal painting by C. B. Lopez
First Day Covers: Manila
Cornelio T. Villareal - Birth Centenary
Born 11
September 1903 in Imbakalan, Mambusao, Capiz to Fortunato Villareal
and Felicidad Tupaz. He is married to the former Angeles Lema with
whom he has four (4) children.
He finished
his elementary education at Mambusao Elementary School and his
secondary studies at Capiz High School. In 1924, he graduated from
Silliman University with a degree in Associate in Arts. He obtained
his degree in Bachelor of Laws from the University of the
Philippines and Philippine Law School in 1929. He was conferred an
L.L. B degree, honoris causa by Silliman University on 24 April
1964.
He practiced
law in Capiz, was appointed Public Defender in 1932, then elected
Delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1934, (He may well be
the only living member of 1934). He resumed his law practice from
1934 to 1941, he took to the hills with his family and followers and
organized guerrilla forces when Japanese troops occupied Capiz on 16
April 1942. He was Capiz's Resistance Provincial Governor until
Liberation on 25 March 1945. He attended the hold-over session of
the First Congress from June to December 1945, was a member of the
Second Congress of the Commonwealth from May to July 1946; elected
to the First Congress of the Republic (1946-1949), served as First
Chairman of the Committee on Un-Filipino Activities and Anti-Huk
campaign in 1946, Chairman of Committee on Judiciary, and Chairman
of Committee on National Defense under the Magsaysay administration
(1948-1949), was member of the Second Congress (1949-1953) and
spearheaded the progressive bloc which moved to repeal the emergency
powers of President Quirino in 1952, re-elected to the Third
Congress (1953-1957) and served as Member of the House Electoral
Tribunal; re-elected to the Fourth Congress (1957-1961) and served
as Minority Floor Leader, re-elected to the Fifth Congress
(1961-1965) and was elected Speaker of the House; re-elected to the
Sixth Congress (1965-1969) and again was elected Speaker and served
as such until 1967; re-elected to the Seventh Congress (1969- 1973)
and was elected Speaker of the House for the third time serving as
such until martial law was declared in September 1972.
He was
appointed Delegate to the Manila Conference of 1954 that founded the
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization; signatory for the House to the
SEATO Charter; and Plenipotentiary Delegate to the Reparations
Agreement between the Philippines and Japan signed in 1956;
likewise, he was a Member of the Philippine Delegation to the United
Nations General Assembly in 1956. He founded the Asian
Parliamentarians' Union along with Japanese Prime Minister Nobushuki
Kishi.
POST-EDSA
ERA. He ran during the 1987 Congressional Elections and won again as
Representative of the Second Legislative District of Capiz. He was
elected Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in 1988.
He is likewise a member of the Committees on National Defense and
Constitutional Amendments.
He died at
the age of 89 on December 8, 1992.