Filipino

Grievances
against
Governor
Backgroun
d of the
Author
Gregorio F. Zaide
◈
May 25, 1907-October 31,University of the
1988 Philippines (M.A. 1931)
and University of Santo
Tomas (B.A. and PhD of
Philosophy, 1934)
◈ Filipino Historian,
Author, Politician
◈ Pagsanjan, Laguna
◈ Mayor of his hometown
for 3 terms (1971-1975)
Contribution to the Grand Scheme of
Philippine History.
Founder of International Association of
Historian Asia (IAHA).
President of Philippines Historical
Association for 3 terms.
Most Prolific Filipino historian of his
time, having research, thought and written
over 80 books in 5 decades or 50 years.
Has unbiased information and present
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Filipino Grievances Against Governor wood
◈ The document served as an impeachment request for
Governor Wood.
◈ The document was approved by the Commission on
Independence on November 17, 1926 (Appointed: October
14, 1921 until August 7, 1927)
◈ A year after the Commission of Independence was
approved, Governor Leonard Wood died due to surgery
failure
 Who is…
Major-General Leonard Wood?

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 Major-General Leonard Wood
7 October 9, 1860-  Graduate of Harvard Medical
August 7,1927 School (1884)
 Began military career as an army
doctor on the frontier and received
the Medal of Honor
 United States Army major general,
physician, and public official.
 Chief of Staff of the United States
Army, Military Governor of Cuba,
and Governor General of the
Philippines
 Major-General Leonard Wood
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◈ Major-General ◈ From 1906 to ◈ He was appointed
Leonard Wood 1908 he Governor of the
arrives in the commanded U.S. Moro Province,
Philippine Islands military forces in comprising the
in 1903 after his the Philippines. southern Islands
service in Cuba. of Mindanao
 Major-General Leonard Wood
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◈ Responsible for ◈ He held his ◈ Until Wood died in 1927,
the Districts and position until his unrest was widespread
the commanding death from brain among the Filipinos, and
general of the tumor. in 1925 the Philippine
troops in the senate unanimously voted
department of to hold a plebiscite on
Mindanao and independence. The report
Sulu as well. of the Thompson
Commission, sent to the
islands in 1926, sharply
criticized Wood's rule.
 Wood Government
10 ◈ The first twenty years of civil government were marked by mutual
understanding and loyal cooperation between Americans and Filipinos.
◈ At the end of that period, on October 15, 1921 Major-General Leonard
Wood at the insistence of President Harding, as well as many Filipino and
American leaders, he agreed to accept the post for one year. Yet, he was to
remain in the Philippines for six long years.
 Wood Government
11 ◈ Expectations: The Filipino people expected that under his administration
the spirit of cooperation would be maintained and that the work of political
emancipation would be complete.

◈ Reality: His conduct of the government has been characterized by a train

of usurpations and arbitrary acts, resulting in the curtailment of our
autonomy, the destruction of our constitutional system, and the reversal of
America’s Philippine Policy
Usurpations Arbitraries

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 Usurpations and Arbitraries
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◈ 1.He has
refuse his
assent to laws
which were the
wholesome
and necessary
for the public
good.
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
14
◈ 2.He has set at
naught both
the legal
authority and
responsibility
for the
Philippine
heads of
departments
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
15
◈ 3.He has
substituted his
constitutional
advisers for a
group of military
attaches without
legal standing in
the government
and not
responsible to the
people
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
16
4. He has reversed
the policy of
Filipinizing the
service of the
government by
appointing
Americans even
when Filipinos of
proven capacity
were available.
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
17
5.He has
obstructed the
carrying out of
national economic
policies duly
adopted by the
Legislature, merely
because they are in
conflict with his
personal view.
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
18 ◈ 6.He has rendered
merely perfunctory the
power of the
Legislature to pass the
annual appropriation
law by reviving items
in the law of the
preceding year, after
vetoing the
corresponding items of
the current
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
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7.He has made
appointments to
positions and
authorized the
payment of
salaries therefor
after having
vetoed the
appropriations for
such salaries
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
20
8.He has used
certain public
funds to grant
additional
compensation to
public officials in
clear violation of
law.
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
21
9.He has arrogated
unto himself the right
of exercising the
powers granted by
the law to the
Emergency Board
after abolishing said
board on the ground
that its power
involved an unlawful
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
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10.He has unduly
interfered in the
administration of
justice.
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
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11. He has refused
to obtain the
advice of the
Senate in making
appointments
where such advice
is required by the
Organic Act.
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
24
12.He has refused
to submit to the
Senate
appointment for
vacancies
occurring during
the recess of the
Legislature in
contravention of
the Organic Act.
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
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He has
13.
continued in office
nominees whose
appointments had
been rejected by
the Senate.
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
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14.He has usurped
legislative powers
by imposing
conditions on
legislative
measures
approved by him.
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
27
15.He has, in the
administration of
affairs in Mindanao
brought about a
condition which has
given rise to the
discord and
dissension between
certain groups of
Christians and
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
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16. He has by his
policies created
strain relations
between resident
Americans and
Filipinos.
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
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17.He has
endeavored, on the
pretext of getting the
government out of
business, to dispose
of all the companies
capitalized by the
government worth
many millions of the
people’s money to
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
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18. He has
sanctioned the
campaign of
insidious
propaganda in the
United States
against the
Filipino People and
their aspirations.
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
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19.He has
attempted to
close the
Philippine National
Bank so necessary
to the economic
development of
the country.
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
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20.He has adopted
the practice of
intervening in, and
controlling directly,
to its minute details,
the affairs of the
Philippine
Government, both
insular and local, in
violation of self-
 Usurpations and Arbitraries
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21.He has insistently
sought the
amendment of our
land laws approved
by the Congress of
the United States,
which amendment
would open up the
resources of our
country to
Content Presentation and
Analysis of the Important
Historical Information
from the Document
• The interview done by Robert Low Bacon was interesting
since what General Wood is saying is contradicting to what
he's actually doing.
• American Sovereignty aimed for our good by training the
country the art of self-government and promising
independence.
• Based on the Document, Ancient Filipinos were patient and
diligent to the task of meeting the conditions given to them
because they trust in the Americans.
• Due to Wood's service and participation in the liberation of
Cuba, Filipinos expected that his governance will do good,
but it turned to be the opposite.

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• General Wood's personality caused string antagonism between the
Governor-General and Filipino Political Leaders.
• Governor Wood retaliated by abolishing the Council and governed
the Islands without the cooperation of the legislature.
• Gravity of the last step is more evident when we recall the series of
usurpation committed by him.
• The violation of self-government created a division between the
Christian and the Mohammedan Filipinos.
• The struggles between Wood and Filipino leaders enhanced the
nationalistic spirit of the people.

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 Contribution to the Grand Scheme of
Philippine History

• The Document is an eyewitness account which serves as enough proof to

show the real happenings and events during those time.
• It showed that the Philippines was under (indirectly) the US and that Filipinos
were fooled by false promises.
• It serves as a reminder that we must learn to stand in our own feet and be
independent. We must learn to not easily trust people because we do not know
their real intentions.
• The Document served as a form of protest, also essential for the Filipinos to
become aware of the the importance of asserting their rights and freedom.

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 THE PROTEST
“In the face of this critical situation, we, the
constitutional representatives of the Filipino
people, met to deliberate upon the present
difficulties existing in the Government of the
Philippine Islands and to determine how best to
preserve the supremacy and majesty of the
laws and to safeguard the right and liberties of
our people, having faith in the sense of justice
of the people of the United States and inspired
by her patriotic example in the early days of
her history, do hereby, in our behalf and in the
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Thanks!

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