The Visayans who dominated the Senate in the 1946 elections

There was a time when Visayans dominated the Senate. That happened during the 1946 elections. When the Commonwealth Government was restored in 1945, with Gen. Douglas McArthur installing Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. as successor president at the steps of the Leyte Provincial Capitol in Tacloban, there were politicians who called for the holding of an early election.

The political allies of Don Sergio Osmeña led by Senators Manuel Roxas and Elpidio Quirino (all of them were with the Nacionalista Party, with Osmeña as their chairman) passed a resolution calling for an early election while the country was still recovering from the devastation of the Second World War. Eventually, on December 1945, the House Insular Affairs of the United States approved the resolution mandating an election not later than April 30, 1946.

Don Sergio being a statesman responded to the call for an early election, as it was perceived to be a challenge of his leadership to the country and its party. Congress then enacted Commonwealth Act 725 setting the election on April 23, 1946. It was approved by President Osmeña on January 5, 1946.

The failure of Senators Roxas and Quirino to get the support of the majority of the members of the Nacionalista Party that stuck with Don Sergio gave birth to the Liberal Party. Then on the elections held on April 23, 1946, there were 16 seats to be contested. Eleven seats were won by Visayans, only five were won by candidates from Luzon.

There were two Cebuanos who won in that election, the first being Vicente Yap Sotto, who placed second. Ironically, it was the first time Sotto won in the senate, as he repeatedly ran and lost when senators were elected from 1916 to 1935 by districts. He ran and lost several times in the 10th Senatorial District of which was the district for Cebu. It was in 1941 that the senate was restored, however this time, the senators were elected at large, meaning, nationwide instead of by districts. The first placer of that election in 1946 was Vicente Francisco who was from Luzon, the difference between Sotto's vote was not more than 20,000.

The other Cebuano was Don Mariano Jesus Cuenco who placed 7th, he was with the Liberal Wing or the group of Roxas, while Sotto was alone in the Popular Front Party.  Don Mariano Jesus Cuenco later by coup, assumed the Senate presidency unseating a fellow Visayan, Jose Avelino of Calbayog, Samar who placed 3rd. Avelino was with the Liberal Wing. Avelino was a regular visitor of Cebu, having attended official events in Cebu. He often visited Cebu with President Manuel Quezon and upon the invitation of Senator Vicente Rama, who was the 2ndCebu City Mayor.

Then there was Ramon Torres, of Negros Occidental who placed 5th, he was with the Nacionalista. Placing 7th was Tomas Confessor of Capiz, Panay Island. Then the Boholano congressman, Carlos P. Garcia, who was the Minority Floor Leader belonging to the Nacionalista who placed 8th.

Another Boholano also won as senator in that election, Olegario Clarin who placed 9th, he belonged to the Liberal Wing. Eleventh was Enrique Magalona of Negros Occidental, he was with the Liberal Wing. Then Tomas Cabili of Lanao (who used to work as staff of The Freeman and taught at the Visayan Institute now University of the Visayas) placing 12th. Cabili was with the Nacionalista Party.

Another Visayan was Jose Romero of Bais, Oriental Negros who placed 15th. Romero aligned with the Nacionalista Party. The 16th or the last seat went to Salipada K. Pendatun of Cotabato, he was with the Liberal Party. Years later, it was Pendatun who was a congressman in 1960 that headed the committee that suspended Cebuano Congressman Sergio Chiong Veloso Osmeña Jr.

Before the elections, Roxas was the Senate president who also won in the presidential election defeating Don Sergio Osmeña. After the elections, the Liberal Wing of the Nacionalista elected Jose Avelino as Senate President. In addition to Sotto and Cuenco as Cebuano senators was Don Vicente Rama who won in the November 11, 1941 elections. Rama, just like all the senators elected in 1941, was not able to start to serve. They were only able to serve starting in 1946. Rama served until May 22, 1947.