Trivia about Cornelio T. Villareal, Sr

Born 11 September 1903 in Imbakalan, Mambusao, Capiz to Fortunato Villareal and Felicidad Tupaz. He is married to the former Angeles Lema with whom he has four (4) children.

He finished his elementary education at Mambusao Elementary School and his secondary studies at Capiz High School. In 1924, he graduated from Silliman University with a degree in Associate in Arts. He obtained his degree in Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines and Philippine Law School in 1929. He was conferred an L.L. B degree, honoris causa by Silliman University on 24 April 1964.

Cornelio T. Villareal, Sr

He practiced law in Capiz, was appointed Public Defender in 1932, then elected Delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1934, (He may well be the only living member of 1934). He resumed his law practice from 1934 to 1941, he took to the hills with his family and followers and organized guerrilla forces when Japanese troops occupied Capiz on 16 April 1942. He was Capiz’s Resistance Provincial Governor until Liberation on 25 March 1945. He attended the hold-over session of the First Congress from June to December 1945, was a member of the Second Congress of the Commonwealth from May to July 1946; elected to the First Congress of the Republic (1946-1949), served as First Chairman of the Committee on Un-Filipino Activities and Anti-Huk campaign in 1946, Chairman of Committee on Judiciary, and Chairman of Committee on National Defense under the Magsaysay administration (1948-1949), was member of the Second Congress (1949-1953) and spearheaded the progressive bloc which moved to repeal the emergency powers of President Quirino in 1952, re-elected to the Third Congress (1953-1957) and served as Member of the House Electoral Tribunal; re-elected to the Fourth Congress (1957-1961) and served as Minority Floor Leader, re-elected to the Fifth Congress (1961-1965) and was elected Speaker of the House; re-elected to the Sixth Congress (1965-1969) and again was elected Speaker and served as such until 1967; re-elected to the Seventh Congress (1969- 1973) and was elected Speaker of the House for the third time serving as such until martial law was declared in September 1972.

He was appointed Delegate to the Manila Conference of 1954 that founded the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization; signatory for the House to the SEATO Charter; and Plenipotentiary Delegate to the Reparations Agreement between the Philippines and Japan signed in 1956; likewise, he was a Member of the Philippine Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in 1956. He founded the Asian Parliamentarians’ Union along with Japanese Prime Minister Nobushuki Kishi.

POST-EDSA ERA. He ran during the 1987 Congressional Elections and won again as Representative of the Second Legislative District of Capiz. He was elected Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in 1988. He is likewise a member of the Committees on National Defense and Constitutional Amendments.

He died at the age of 89 on December 8, 1992.

Stamps featuring Cornelio T. Villareal, Sr

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