Jose Casten Zulueta (November 23, 1889 – December 6, 1972) was a Filipino lawyer and politician. He served as Senate President for a brief period in 1953.

Jose Zulueta
Governor of Iloilo
In office
1960–1963
Preceded byMariano Peñaflorida
Succeeded byRafael Palmares
8th President of the Senate of the Philippines
In office
May 20, 1953 – December 30, 1953
Preceded byCamilo Osías
Succeeded byEulogio Rodriguez
Senator of the Philippines
In office
December 30, 1951 – December 30, 1957
7th Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives
In office
June 9, 1945 – December 20, 1945
Preceded byBenigno Aquino, Sr.[a]
Succeeded byEugenio Pérez
Member of the
Philippine House of Representatives
from Iloilo's 1st district
In office
1928–1946
Preceded byEugenio Baldana
Succeeded byMateo M. Nonato
In office
December 30, 1949 – December 30, 1953
Preceded byMateo M. Nonato
Succeeded byPedro G. Trono
In office
December 30, 1969 – September 23, 1972
Preceded byPedro G. Trono
Succeeded byVacant[b]
Post later held by Oscar G. Garin
Secretary of the Interior
In office
May 28, 1946 – April 17, 1948
PresidentManuel Roxas
Preceded byRafael Alunan
Succeeded bySotero Baluyut
Personal details
Born
José Casten Zulueta

(1889-11-23)November 23, 1889
Molo, Iloilo, Captaincy General of the Philippines
DiedDecember 6, 1972(1972-12-06) (aged 83)
Paco, Manila, Philippines[citation needed]
Political partyNacionalista (1928–1946, 1951–1953,[1] 1960–1972)
Other political
affiliations
Liberal (1946–1951, 1953[1])
People's (Veterans) Democratic Movement for Good Government (1957)
SpouseSoledad B. Ramos
Alma materAteneo de Manila
ProfessionLawyer, politician

Early life and education

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Jose Zulueta was born to Evaristo Zulueta and Atilana Casten. Zulueta studied at the Ateneo de Manila. In 1911 he was appointed as a stenographer at Court of First Instance. He studied law and graduated in 1916 for the entrance examination for the Philippine bar (bar exam) and started a law practice.

Career

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Zueleta in 1928 was elected to the House of Representatives of the Philippines on behalf of the 1st constituency of Iloilo. He was re-elected several times, and he would sit in the House until 1946. During the Japanese occupation, Zulueta was accused of collaboration, along with Jorge Vargas, Jorge Bocobo and Manuel Roxas, being the first to respond to General Homma's order to form an Executive Commission. After the establishment of the Philippine Republic in 1946, the Department of Interior was restored and Zulueta was appointed by President Manuel Roxas once again to head the agency until 1948. Zulueta's term was marked by heightened tensions with the Hukbalahap movement, with Zulueta instituting a pass system that was required of Central Luzon residents wishing to travel outside their towns. Like his mentor Roxas, he adopted a hardline attitude toward the Huks, declaring in 1947 that the Huks faced only two choices: surrender or annihilation. He gave carte blanche to the Philippine Constabulary in all their operations against "dissidents". He was in charge of negotiating several times with its leaders, including Luis Lava, Luis Taruc, Juan Feleo and Jose de Leon.

In 1946, Zulueta was elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives in the inaugural session of the Congress.

After his term as minister he stood in April 1949 successfully apply for a new term in the House of Representatives. Before the end of his term, he is more than two years later at the 1951 election elected to the Philippine Senate.

Philippine Senate

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In 1951, he joined the Nacionalista Party and ran as a candidate in the 1953 vice-presidential nomination at the Nacionalista Convention.[1] In his time as a senator, which lasted until 1957, he was on April 30, 1953 until November 30, 1953 President of the Senate.

He initially supported the Nacionalista Party to further his political fortunes but switched sides by forming an agreement with the Liberal Party. Unsatisfied with the Nacionalista Party, he strengthened his support for the Liberal Party. As a result of the power struggle within the Philippine Senate, the Nacionalista Party compensated Zulueta by electing him Senate President.[1]

He became Senator (1951–1957) and was briefly elected the Senate President in 1953. Due to Zulueta's opportunistic behavior affecting the power balance in the senate, he was induced to step down from the senate presidency in favor of Eulogio Rodriguez.[1]

In mid-September 1953, he rejoined the Liberal Party.[1]

Later political career

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Zulueta in 1959 was elected governor of his native province of Iloilo. Later, he was from 1969 to 1972 again delegate on behalf of the first constituency of Iloilo.

During the Marcos administration, he was made the Presidential Consultant on Local Government.

He is among the few Filipinos included in the World Biography, 1948 edition and in the International Who's Who, 1952 edition.

Personal life

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Zulueta was married to Soledad B. Ramos. His brother, Francisco Zulueta, also served as a Senator.

Notes

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  1. ^ Aquino served as Speaker of the National Assembly during the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945)
  2. ^ When Martial Law was declared, the Congress was dissolved.

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Thomas, M. Ladd (1954). "Personalized Politics: Filipino Style". India Quarterly. 10 (4): 371–376. ISSN 0974-9284.

Sources

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