Vicente Francisco

For the Basque missionary, see Vicente Francisco de Sarría.
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Francisco and the second or maternal family name is Santos.
Vicente J. Francisco
Senator of the Philippines
In office
May 25, 1946 – December 30, 1951
Majority Floor Leader of the Senate of the Philippines
In office
May 25, 1946 – February 21, 1949
Preceded byMelecio Arranz
Succeeded byTomas Cabili
Personal details
Born(1891-07-19)July 19, 1891
Cavite Puerto, Cavite, Captaincy General of the Philippines
DiedJuly 19, 1974(1974-07-19) (aged 83)
Political partyLiberal (1946–1974)
Signature

Vicente J. Francisco y Santos (July 19, 1891 – July 19, 1974[1]) was a Filipino jurist and politician. Known as one of the best Filipino lawyers of his time, he was part of the 1934 Constitutional Convention, and served in the Senate of the Philippines from 1946 to 1949.

Early life and education

Francisco was born on July 19, 1891 to Bibiano Francisco and Josefa Santos in Cavite, Cavite.[2][3] He studied at Escuela de Derecho de Manila where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws in 1914. He then went to New York, United States and enrolled at Columbia University to study mercantile law.[3]

As a lawyer, he worked as the Dean of the College of Law at the University of Manila and was president of the Lawyer's League of the Philippines.[3]

He was elected as a delegate from Cavite in the 1934 Philippine Constitutional Convention election.[3] Aside from politics, Francisco also owned and became president of East Publishing Company, Inc.[2] He was a prolific writer and published his own law books.[3]

Political career

In 1946, Francisco was elected to the Senate of the Philippines[4] as a candidate of the Liberal Party, winning the largest number of votes. After his election, he was elected Majority Leader by his colleagues. In the Senate, he filed many bills including Act 52, which re-established the Court of Appeals.

In the 1949 elections, Francisco ran for Vice President of the Philippines as running mate of Senate President Jose Avelino, but lost to Fernando Lopez with 1.73% of the vote.

Francisco died in 1974, on his 83rd birthday. He was married to María Jalbuena; their son Ricardo Francisco served as a justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from 1995 to 1998.[5]

  • Francisco's U.S. passport application picture, 1920
    Francisco's U.S. passport application picture, 1920
  • Francisco depicted from the Lawyer's League Journal, dated June 1935
    Francisco depicted from the Lawyer's League Journal, dated June 1935
  • Francisco as a delegate to the Philippine Constitutional Convention, published by Benipayo Press (c. 1935)
    Francisco as a delegate to the Philippine Constitutional Convention, published by Benipayo Press (c. 1935)
  • Tomb of Francisco
    Tomb of Francisco

References

  1. ^ G.R. No. L-37423, Supreme Court of the Philippines ruling (30 April 1976)
  2. ^ a b "Senators Profile - Vicente Francisco". web.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  3. ^ a b c d e Our Delegates to the Constitutional Assembly: English-Spanish (in Spanish). Benipayo Press. 1935.
  4. ^ "List of Previous Senators". Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Justice Francisco, 73". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
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