Valentin de los Santos

Last updated

Valentin de los Santos was a Filipino religious leader and political activist. Santos founded and led the Lapiang Malaya, a political movement that opposed the government of Ferdinand Marcos.

Biography

Valentin de los Santos was born on the Filipino island of Luzon in the early 20th century. In the 1940s, Santos began a Christianity-based political movement in Northern Luzon advocating for more economic and social equality. [1] [2] Many people were drawn to Santos' style of leadership, which involved him teaching new methods of prayer to people. As noted by one source, Santos taught his followers a "beautiful way" in which to pray and interact positively with others; [1] this was in contrast to other Filipino priests, who focused more on preaching and community functions. [1] Santos' messages also revolved around nonviolence, equality, and nationalism - political credos which helped the Lapiang Malaya garner support among the poorer peoples of Luzon. [1] The party supported Santos when he ran for president in the Philippine presidential election of 1957. [2]

In addition to being the leader of the Lapiang Malaya, Santos became renowned in Luzon for his charisma. He was also purported to have healing abilities, superhuman strength, and invulnerability to bullets; [1] [3] some of these beliefs were shared by other members of the Lapiang Malaya. Santos was also believed by his followers to have invented a number of inventions, including the traffic light. [2] [3] He is also alleged to have direct contact with Bathala (Supreme god) and past notable Filipinos such as Jose Rizal. [4]

In the Spring of 1967, Santos and the Lapiang Malaya organized a political rally in the Philippine capital of Manila, where they intended to peacefully overthrow the government of Ferdinand Marcos. [3] The organization marched on Malacañang Palace on 20 May, but were intercepted by the Philippine Constabulary. They were armed with bolo knives and anting-anting or amulets. [5] The crowd was eventually dispersed with force, resulting in the deaths of 33 people, after which Santos was arrested. [6] He was judged to be insane by the Filipino government and confined to the National Center for Mental Health, where he was eventually killed by another patient. Following his incarceration and death, his son-in-law, Domingo De Guia, replaced him as the head of Lapiang Malaya. [7]

Related Research Articles

EDSA Limited-access circumferential highway around Metro Manila

Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA, is a limited-access circumferential highway around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or cities, namely, from north to south, Caloocan, Quezon City, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Pasay.

Raul Manglapus

Raul Sevilla Manglapus was a prominent post–World War II Filipino politician and songwriter. He co-founded the reformist Progressive Party of the Philippines and the Christian Democratic Socialist Movement in 1968.

Communist Party of the Philippines Political party in the Philippines

The Communist Party of the Philippines is a far-left, Marxist-Leninist-Maoist revolutionary organization and communist party in the Philippines, formed by Jose Maria Sison on 26 December 1968. It is designated as a terrorist group by the United States Department of State through Executive Order No. 13224 together with Sison and the New People's Army (NPA) in 2002. The European Union, through Council Decision (CSFP) 2019/1341, renewed the terrorist designation of the CPP-NPA in 2019, though the European Union's second highest court ruled in September 2009 to delist Sison as a "person supporting terrorism" and reversed a decision by member governments to freeze assets. According to the US' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook, the CPP and its armed wing, the NPA, aims to destabilize the Philippines' economy and overthrow the national government.

Jose Maria Sison Philippine Maoist leader (born 1939)

Jose Maria Canlas Sison, also known by his nickname Joma, is a Filipino writer and activist who founded the Communist Party of the Philippines and added elements of Maoism to its philosophy — which would be known as national democracy. He applied the theory of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism to the history and current circumstances of the Philippines.

Rizal Park Historic urban park in Manila, Philippines

Rizal Park, also known as Luneta Park or simply Luneta, is a historic urban park located in Ermita, Manila, Philippines. It is considered one of the largest urban parks in Asia, covering an area of 58 hectares. The site on where the park is situated was originally known as Bagumbayan during the Spanish colonial period. It is adjacent to the historic Walled City of Intramuros.

Baras, Rizal Municipality in Calabarzon, Philippines

Baras, officially the Municipality of Baras, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 87,637 people. 

San Fernando, Pampanga Component city in Central Luzon, Philippines

San Fernando, officially the City of San Fernando, is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 354,666 people. 

San Miguel, Bulacan Municipality in Central Luzon, Philippines

San Miguel, officially the Municipality of San Miguel, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 172,073 people. 

Filipino nationalism Support of a political identity associated with the modern nation-state of the Philippines

Filipino nationalism refers to the establishment and support of a political identity associated with the modern nation-state of the Philippines, leading to a wide-ranging campaign for political, social, and economic freedom in the Philippines. This gradually emerged from various political and armed movements throughout most of the Spanish East Indies—but which has long been fragmented and inconsistent with contemporary definitions of such nationalism—as a consequence of more than three centuries of Spanish rule. These movements are characterized by the upsurge of anti-colonialist sentiments and ideals which peaked in the late 19th century led mostly by the ilustrado or landed, educated elites, whether peninsulares, insulares, or native (Indio). This served as the backbone of the first nationalist revolution in Asia, the Philippine Revolution of 1896. The modern concept would later be fully actualized upon the inception of a Philippine state with its contemporary borders after being granted independence by the United States by the 1946 Treaty of Manila.

1986 Philippine presidential election 11th Philippine presidential election

The 1986 Philippine presidential and vice presidential elections were held on February 7, 1986. Popularly known as the 1986 snap election, it is among the landmark events that led up to the People Power Revolution, the downfall of the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos, and the accession of Corazon C. Aquino as president.

Epifanio de los Santos Filipino academic

Epifanio de los Santos y Cristóbal, sometimes known as Don Pañong or Don Panyong was a noted Filipino historian, journalist, and civil servant. He was considered one of the best Filipino writers and regarded as a literary genius. He has also entered politics, serving as a member of the Malolos Congress from 1898 to 1899 from Nueva Ecija and later as governor of Nueva Ecija from 1902 to 1906. As lawyer, he was named as the district attorney of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija in 1900 and later as fiscal of the provinces of Bulacan and Bataan. He was named as an assistant technical director of the Philippine Census in 1918. He was appointed Director of the Philippine Library and Museum by Governor General Leonard Wood in 1925, serving until his death in 1928.

Paciano Rizal

Paciano Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda was a Filipino general and revolutionary, and the older brother of José Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines.

Names of the Philippines Overview of the history and use of the various names of the Philippines

The name Philippines derives from that of the 16th-century Spanish king Philip II, and is a truncated form of Philippine Islands. During the expedition of Ruy López de Villalobos to the region, the Spanish sailor Bernardo de la Torre bestowed the name Las Islas Filipinas on the islands of Leyte and Samar, in honor of the then Prince of Asturias. Despite the existence of other names, Filipinas ("Philippines") was eventually adopted as the name of the entire archipelago.

Marcelo H. del Pilar Filipino writer, lawyer, and journalist

Marcelo Hilario del Pilar y Gatmaitán, commonly known as Marcelo H. del Pilar and also known by his pen name Pláridel, was a Filipino writer, lawyer, journalist, and freemason. Del Pilar, along with José Rizal and Graciano López Jaena, became known as the leaders of the Reform Movement in Spain.

José Rizal Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath

José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is considered the national hero of the Philippines. An ophthalmologist by profession, Rizal became a writer and a key member of the Filipino Propaganda Movement, which advocated political reforms for the colony under Spain.

The Lapiang Malaya was a fanatical political party in the Philippines during the 1950s to the 1960s. Led by Valentin de los Santos, he functioned as a cult leader.

Communism in the Philippines emerged in the first half of the 20th century during the American Colonial Era of the Philippines. Communist movements originated in labor unions and peasant groups. The communist movement has had multiple periods of popularity and relevance to the national affairs of the country, most notably during the Second World War and the Martial Law Era of the Philippines. Currently the communist movement is underground and considered an insurgent movement by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Benito Tiamzon

Benito Tiamzon is a Filipino political organizer and until his arrest in March 2014 by Philippine security forces, was believed to be the Chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA).

Religious sector opposition against the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos included leaders and workers belonging to different beliefs and denominations.

Anarchism in the Philippines has its roots in the anti-colonial struggle against the Spanish Empire, becoming influential in the Philippine Revolution and the country's early trade unionist movement. After being supplanted by Marxism-Leninism as the leading revolutionary tendency during the mid-20th century, it experienced a resurgence as part of the punk subculture, following the fragmentation of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 GOROSPE, V. (1970). Christian Koinonia and Some Philippine Cultural Forces. Philippine Studies,18(1), 52-82
  2. 1 2 3 "A Theory of Philippine Politics and Its Implications for National Development: Discussion". Philippine Political Science Journal. 3 (3): 70–73. June 1976. doi:10.1080/01154451.1976.9753926. ISSN   0115-4451.
  3. 1 2 3 Guillermo, Ramon (2012). "Moral Forces, Philosophy of History, and War in José Rizal". Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints. 60 (1): 5–32. doi:10.1353/phs.2012.0007. ISSN   2244-1638. S2CID   143605301.
  4. ↑ Ileto, Reynaldo Clemeña (1997). Pasyon and Revolution: Popular Movements in the Philippines, 1840-1910. Ateneo University Press. p. 2. ISBN   978-971-550-232-0 . Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  5. ↑ Gomez, Buddy (11 February 2015). "The ghosts of Benigno Ramos and Valentin de los Santos are on the loose!". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  6. ↑ "Lapiang Malaya - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos". 2011-09-16. Archived from the original on 2011-09-16. Retrieved 2018-11-24.
  7. ↑ "Lapiang Malaya branch holds 'lechon festival'". GMA News Online. Retrieved 2018-11-24.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.