Born 11 September 1903 in
Imbakalan, Mambusao, Capiz to Fortunate Villareal and Felicidad Tupaz.
He is married to the former Angeles Lema with whom he has four (4) children.
He finished his elementary education at Mambusao Elementary School and
his secondary studies at Capiz High School. In 1924, he graduated from
Silliman University with a degree in Associate in Arts. He obtained his
degree in Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines and Philippine
Law School in 1929. He was conferred an L.L. B degree, honoris causa by
Silliman University on 24 April 1964.
He practiced law in Capiz,
was appointed Public Defender in 1932, then elected Delegate to the Constitutional
Convention in 1934, (He may well be the only living member of 1934). He
resumed his law practice from 1934 to 1941, he took to the hills with his
family and followers and organized guerrilla forces when Japanese troops
occupied Capiz on 16 April 1942. He was Capiz's Resistance Provincial Governor
until Liberation on 25 March 1945. He attended the hold-over session of
the First Congress from June to December 1945, was a member of the Second
Congress of the Commonwealth from May to July 1946; elected to the First
Congress of the Republic (1946-1949), served as First Chairman of the Committee
on Un-Filipino Activities and Anti-Huk campaign in 1946, Chairman of Committee
on Judiciary, and Chairman of Committee on National Defense under the Magsaysay
administration (1948-1949), was member of the Second Congress (1949-1953)
and spearheaded the progressive bloc which moved to repeal the emergency
powers of President Quirino in 1952, re-elected to the Third Congress (1953-1957)
and served as Member of the House Electoral Tribunal; re-elected to the
Fourth Congress (1957-1961) and served as Minority Floor Leader, re-elected
to the Fifth Congress (1961-1965) and was elected Speaker of the House;
re-elected to the Sixth Congress (1965-1969) and again was elected Speaker
and served as such until 1967; re-elected to the Seventh Congress (1969-1973)
and was elected Speaker of the House for the third time serving as such
until martial law was declared in September 1972.
He was appointed Delegate
to the Manila Conference of 1954 that founded the Southeast Asia Treaty
Organization; signatory for the House to the SEATO Charter; and Plenipotentiary
Delegate to the Reparations Agreement between the Philippines and Japan
signed in 1956; likewise, he was a Member of the Philippine Delegation
to the United Nations General Assembly in 1956.
He founded the Asian Parliamentarians'
Union along with Japanese Prime Minister Nobushuki Kishi.
POST-EDSA ERA. He ran during
the 1987 Congressional Elections and won again as Representative of the
Second Legislative District of Capiz. He was elected Chairman of the House
Committee on Foreign Affairs in 1988. He is likewise a member of the Committees
on National Defense and Constitutional Amendments. He died at the age of
89 on December 8, 1992. |