Don Sergio Osmeña refuses the presidency

Don Sergio Suico Osmeña, the Grand Old Man of Cebu, is the only Filipino who refused to be president when this was offered to him on a silver platter.

Osmeña, vice president at that time, could have assumed the presidency on November 15, 1943 in consonance with the proviso that he would have to take over from the Quezon presidency.

An excerpt of his speech dated November 11, 1943 is quoted:

“If we were in normal times, my duty would be clear and simple: I would have to assume the presidency on the 15th of this month as a matter of right. But these are not normal times. Our country not only is at war, but also is occupied by the enemy.”

“Under these circumstances, our principal concern and primary consideration is to win the war, liberate our people from the invaders, and establish the independence of our country. The question naturally arises: What is the best thing to do in order to help accomplish these aims?

“Moreover, those responsible for the prosecution of the war on the part of the United States have expressed to me their concern over the possible effect of the change of leadership at this time. They said that the enemy would take advantage of President Quezon’s retirement from active leadership by telling the Filipinos had withdrawn from the fight and that he was no longer interested in this war. They added that the morale of the Filipinos still fighting the enemy in the mountains of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and receiving inspiration from him might weaken if President Quezon retired. Furthermore, they told me that in their opinion, based on recent information from the front, the unity of our people in general would be better maintained and secured with the retention of President Quezon in office since that would mean that both of us would continue working together.

“As for me, I consider it my inescapable duty to continue giving President Quezon’s leadership my utmost support and cooperation so that the Commonwealth Government now in Washington may render the greatest service to the Philippines and the Filipinos.

“Fellow Countrymen: These are critical days for individuals as well as nations. Our sense of responsibility as a people and the strength of our national solidarity have once more been tested. We have again proved our unity. With this action, we have shown the world that when the freedom of our country and the validity of our commitments are at stake, there are no differences among us and selfish considerations carry no weight in our decisions.”

The ailing Quezon eventually died on August 1, 1944 in New York, leaving Don Sergio the country’s top leader, accompanying Gen. Douglas McArthur in the Leyte Landing and eventually becoming president on October 22, 1944, although he was considered successor president after Quezon died.