Arturo Tolentino

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Modesto and the surname or paternal family name is Tolentino.

Arturo "Ka Turing" Modesto Tolentino (September 19, 1910 – August 2, 2004) was a Filipino politician, lawyer and diplomat who served as the Senate president and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. He was the vice-presidential running mate of Ferdinand Marcos in the 1986 Philippine election, which led to the ouster of Marcos in the People Power Revolution.

The Honorable Arturo M. Tolentino
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office July 1984 – 1985
President	Ferdinand Marcos
Prime Minister	Cesar Virata
Preceded by	Manuel Collantes (acting)
Succeeded by	Pacifico Castro (acting)
10th President of the Senate of the Philippines
In office January 17, 1966 – January 26, 1967
Preceded by	Ferdinand Marcos
Succeeded by	Gil Puyat
Senate Majority Leader
In office January 26,1970 – September 23, 1972
Preceded by	Rodolfo Ganzon
Succeeded by	Position abolished (Next held by Orly Mercado)
In office January 22, 1962 – January 17, 1966
Preceded by	Cipriano Primicias Sr.
Succeeded by	Jose Roy
Senator of the Philippines
In office June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1995
In office December 30, 1957 – September 23, 1972
House Majority Leader
In office January 25, 1954 – December 30, 1957
Preceded by	Raul Leuterio
Succeeded by	Jose Aldeguer
Member of the Regular Batasang Pambansa
In office June 30, 1984 – February 16, 1986
Constituency	Manila
Member of the Interim Batasang Pambansa
In office June 12, 1978 – June 5, 1984
Constituency	Region IV
Member of the House of Representatives from Manila's 3rd district
In office December 30, 1949 – December 30, 1957
Preceded by	District established
Succeeded by	Ramon Bagatsing
Personal details
Born	Arturo Modesto Tolentino (1910-09-19)September 19, 1910 Tondo, Manila, Philippines
Died	August 2, 2004(2004-08-02) (aged 93) Quezon City, Philippines
Resting place	Libingan ng mga Bayani, Taguig, Philippines
Political party	NPC (1992–2004) KBL (1978–1992) Nacionalista (1949–1978)
Spouse(s)	Consuelo David Pilar Adorable Constancia Conde
Children	7
Alma mater	University of the Philippines Manila (AA, BPhil) University of the Philippines Diliman (LL.B) University of Santo Tomas (LL.M, DCL)

Tolentino helped write the Civil Code of the Philippines from 1948 to 1949 and authored the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act of 1960.

Early career

Tolentino wrestling

Arturo Modesto Tolentino was born in Manila. At UP Manila, he obtained an Associate in Arts as well as the Bachelor of Philosophy. He won a gold medal award as valedictorian at UP in 1938, and was valedictorian of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law (1934). He later continued his studies and received the degrees of Master of Law and Doctor of Civil Law from the University of Santo Tomás. He was also a short story writer for the Philippines Free Press, and was a wrestler and bodybuilder.

As a debater and orator, he won seven gold medals (including the Quezon Medal) and two silver cups. He won the title of “Inter-Collegiate Oratorical Champion of the Philippines” in 1934. He successfully debated with American students from the University of Oregon in 1933 and from the University of Washington in 1934. In 1934, Tolentino also was the consort to the Miss Manila winner at the Manila Carnival. In UP, he was editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian and a fellow of the Upsilon Sigma Phi. Tolentino began practicing law after passing the bar in 1934.

Early Political Career

House of Representatives (1949–1957)

Tolentino was already a noted scholar and trial lawyer when he was selected in 1948 by President Manuel Roxas to be the youngest member of the Code Committee that would draft the first and only Civil Code of the Philippines, which was completed in late 1949 and took effect in 1950. Tolentino was first elected as representative for Manila's 3rd district in 1949; he was the first representative of the district following its establishment that year through the revised Manila city charter. He was re-elected in 1953. Shortly after his re-election, Tolentino was given the position of majority floor leader, which he held until his entry to the Senate four years later and one which, though less glamorous than that of speaker, he preferred and enjoyed.

Senate (1957–1972)

Tolentino was elected in the Senate in the 1957 election. He was re-elected in 1963 and in 1969. In 1966, shortly after Ferdinand Marcos was elected president, Tolentino was elected Senate president. A year later, however, he was ousted from his position.

Vice-presidential candidate (1986)

Tolentino was chosen by Marcos as his vice-presidential running mate for the 1986 snap election. They were against the united opposition of Corazon Aquino and Salvador Laurel. According to the National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) final tally, Aquino and Laurel were consistently in the lead. The final tally showed Laurel winning by over 800,000 votes—roughly the same margin by which it showed Aquino defeating Marcos. However, according to the official COMELEC tally, Tolentino won over Laurel with a margin of approximately one million votes. He was ceremonially sworn in as Vice President of the Philippines on February 16, 1986, but functionally never took office. The disputed outcome would eventually lead to the People Power Revolution which ousted Marcos and installed Aquino as a revolutionary president. In 2013, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in its Resolution No. 2, series of 2013, officially stated that Tolentino was not elected as vice-president, consequently excluding him from the official roster of vice-presidents of the Philippines.

1986 Coup Attempt

Further information: Siege of the Manila Hotel

After the People Power Revolution, Tolentino launched a failed coup attempt on July 6, 1986. He claimed that, since Marcos was in exile, he was constitutionally the acting president of the Philippines. Marcos allies and about 100 soldiers marched to the luxurious Manila Hotel, occupied it, and established a government. He expected massive support, but only several thousand of Marcos loyalists supported his cause, which dwindled to several hundred. On July 8, he agreed to surrender.

Later Life

Tolentino's tomb at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Return to the Senate (1992–1995)

In 1992, Tolentino successfully ran for the Senate, placing 18th as part of the Nationalist People's Coalition. However, his bid for re-election in 1995 was not successful, and he retired from politics. During this time he still took part in notable landmark cases including Tolentino v. Sec. of Finance.

Death and legacy

Statue of Tolentino and the sports center named in his honor in Sampaloc, Manila.

Tolentino died of a heart attack on the night of August 2, 2004, at the age of 93. He is buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Tolentino was once the foremost expert in civil law and persons throughout the 1960s to 1980s. The civil law volumes mainly used in the UP College of Law and other law universities are still the Commentaries and Jurisprudence on the Civil Code of the Philippines volumes by Tolentino, a series of volumes published beginning circa 1960.

Sampaloc, Manila has a sports center named after the late senator and has a public monument of Tolentino along Instruccion Street.

Personal life

Tolentino's first wife died during World War II. He then married Pilar Adorable, but had their marriage annulled due to differences in parenting. He later married Constancia Conde. Miriam Defensor Santiago considered Tolentino her mentor in the legal field and the Senate.

References

• Zaide, Sonia M. (1999). The Philippines: A Unique Nation. Quezon City: All-Nations Publishing.

External links

• Arturo M. Tolentino Memorial Website
• Senate of the Philippines