The rise—and fall—of House leaders

The position of Speaker of the House of Representatives is quite powerful; it is, after all, third in the line of presidential succession after the Vice-President and Senate President.

- Todd Sales Lucero

It was Sergio Osmeiia, elected in 1907 as the first Speaker of the Philippine Assembly at just twenty-nine, set the tone for the office. In an era without modern polling and with an American-appointed upper chamber, Osmeiia’s power was measured not by approval ratings but by caucus discipline: year after year, he held the Assembly together and steered the dominance of his Nacionalista party. His nineteen-year run remains the benchmark for fellow-member support.

During the Commonwealth years, Gil Montilla and later José Yulo presided over a unicameral National Assembly and both their speakerships reflected President Quezon’s influence and a restored legislature still learning the basics of self-government. Yulo’s reputation later became complicated by his wartime role as Chief Justice during the Japanese occupation—a reminder that political fortunes can be recast by history’s tides. Benigno Aquino Sr. served as Speaker of the Japanese-sponsored National Assembly, an office defined by collaboration and coercion rather than consent. After liberation, he was arrested and charged with treason.