Juan Liwag Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honorable
Juan Ramos Liwag
Office:Senator of the Philippines
Term Start:December 30, 1963
Term End:December 30, 1969
President1:Diosdado Macapagal
Office1:Secretary of Justice
Term Start1:May 20, 1962
Term End1:July 7, 1963
Predecessor1:Jose W. Diokno
Successor1:Salvador Marino
Office2:Solicitor General of the Philippines
Term Start2:November 10, 1952
Term End2:February 9, 1954
President2:Elpidio Quirino
Ramon Magsaysay
Predecessor2:Pompeyo Diaz
Successor2:Querube Makalintal
Office3:Member of the Interim Batasang Pambansa
Term Start3:June 12, 1978
Term End3:November 30, 1983
Birth Name:Juan Ramos Liwag
Birth Date:12 June 1906
Birth Place:Gapan, Nueva Ecija, Philippine Islands
Spouse:Consuelo Joson
Nationality:Filipino
Party:KBL (1978–1983)
Otherparty:Liberal (1963-1978)
Children:4
Alma Mater:University of the Philippines Diliman (BA, LL.B)
Profession:Lawyer
Occupation:Politician
Constituency3:Region III

Juan Ramos Liwag (June 12, 1906 – November 30, 1983) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as senator in the 5th and 6th Congress of the Philippines.[1]

He was among the few Filipino officials who have served in all three branches of the government.[1]

Early life and education

Liwag was born on June 12, 1906, in Gapan, Nueva Ecija to Diego Liuag and Isabel Ramos. He finished elementary schooling as valedictorian at the Gapan Intermediate School, high school at the University of the Philippines, again as valedictorian, and subsequently hurdled the Liberal Arts course with honors. In 1932, he completed his law course at the University of the Philippines College of Law, cum laude, and placed second in the 1932 Philippine Bar Examinations.[2] He is a member of Upsilon Sigma Phi batch 1927.[3]

Career

In 1945, he began his public service as prosecutor in the Department of Justice, assuming later the position of head of the office of special prosecutors. Four years later, he was appointed judge-at-large of the Court of First Instance and the following year was named district judge for Albay and Catanduanes. He was appointed Solicitor General in 1952, a position he held until 1954.[2]

President Diosdado Macapagal made him Undersecretary of Justice in 1961 and on May 19 of that year, appointed him as Secretary. He served from May 20, 1962, to July 7, 1963. It was the time of the Stonehill scandal and as Secretary of Justice, Liwag had the huge task of prosecuting the American and his associates. He was also responsible for busting the credit scandal in the Philippine National Bank and the naturalization racket that had flourished unabated over the years.

Liwag declared the daily wage of of emergency employment administration workers as unconstitutional and inhuman. In his own department, he secured salary increases for judges, solicitors, fiscals, prosecutors and court personnel.

Political career

As a member of the Senate, from 1963 to 1969, Liwag headed two important committees—the Committee on Revision of Laws and the Committee on Government Reorganization. He became a member of the committees on accounts, economy, investigation, justice, labor and immigration, national defense and public works and communications.

In 1970, he was elected to represent the 2nd district of Nueva Ecija at the 1971 Constitutional Convention.

Death and legacy

Senator Liwag died on November 30, 1983.[4]

In his honor, the main public high school in his hometown, Gapan, was renamed Juan R. Liwag Memorial High School through Batas Pambansa Blg. 858 on April 27, 1984.[5] Liwag was responsible for elevating the status of the school to a national high school.

Personal life

He was married to Consuelo Joson with whom he had four children namely Diego, Ramon, Aurelio and Rita.[6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Juan R. Liwag . . 7 October 2016.
  2. Web site: Juan R. Liwag . . 7 October 2016.
  3. https://www.uspna.com/resource_book/upsilon_government.html
  4. Web site: Juan R. Liwag . Upsilon Sigma Phi . 7 October 2016.
  5. BP. 858 . AN ACT CHANGING THE NAME OF THE GAPAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF GAPAN, PROVINCE OF NUEVA ECIJA, TO JUAN R. LIWAG MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL . 7 October 2016. 27 April 1984.
  6. Web site: Descendant Chart of DIEGO LIWAG . monvalmonte.com . 7 October 2016 . 10 May 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170510124910/http://monvalmonte.com/liwag/Family%20Trees/Descendant%20Chart%20Diego%20Liwag.pdf . dead .