Justice Abad Santos Street, Cebu City

It is the street that starts from Gen. Vicente Lim St. running in a northwest direction toward the limits of Gochan Sudivision in the Mabolo District.

It is one of the fifteen (15) streets given official names by the Cebu City council on July 10, 1967 under City Ordinance No. 594 during the term of Mayor Carlos J. Cuizon.

Justice Jose Abad Santos, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who was sworn in by President Manuel L. Quezon on December 21, 1941, that was two days before the Japanese invaders entered Manila. He was the acting president of the country, as he was given orders by President Quezon to be his delegate and representative.

Not known to many, it was in Tubod, Barili, Cebu on the morning of April 11, 1942 that Justice Abad Santos was captured by the Japanese Army. He came to Cebu with his son Pepito, Col. Benito D. Valeriano (Visayan Constabulary Chief), Lt. Francisco Delgado, an Aide de Camp given to him by Pres. Quezon and Manuel Del Rosario, the son-in-law of  Don Emilio Lizares, the governor of Negros.

Before his capture in Cebu, Justice Abad Santos from Manila went to Panay Island then to Cebu. His duty then was to supervise the civil government in the unoccupied areas of the country. Aside from being Chief Justice, he was the concurrent acting Secretary of  Finance, Agriculture and Commerce. It was Justice Abad Santos who convinced then Governor Hilario Abellana to remain at his position as governor so that he could somehow protect the Cebuanos from Japanese atrocities.

From Barili, Abad Santos and his companions were brought to Cebu City, it was in Basak Elementary School that they stayed for a night. The following morning, when he was about to be brought to another place in a room together with other prisoners one of which was Sergeant Guarino Espion, Justice Abad Santos told them in Tagalog: "Remember, boys, never join the enemy, America and God are with us, the Japanese are here only on borrowed time. We will rise again." He was then brought to the provincial Capitol and in a nearby house was interrogated by Major General Kiyotake Kawaguchi, the commander of the Japanese Army and Col. Kawakami, chief of the military administration of the province. Abad Santos was asked to persuade Manuel Roxas who was in Mindanao to surrender and collaborate with them, these he all refused. He was then brought to Parang, Cotabato then to Malabang, Lanao. His order of execution was then given from Manila. This was issued by Major General Takeji Wachi, upon order of General Masaharu Homma. Abad Santos was then executed on May 2, 1942. His body was never found then. General Homma was then prosecuted for War Crimes including the execution of Abad Santos. Homma was found guilty on February 11, 1946 and executed on April 3, 1946 by musketry.