Vice President Sergio Osmeña Becomes President

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition Series 3):

AUGUST 1, 1944

Vice President Sergio Osmeña took his oath of office as President of the Philippines following the death of President Manuel L. Quezon in the  morning of August 1, 1944. 

He becomes the fourth president of the Philippines and the second president of the Philippine Commonwealth (then as government in exile) under America. 

United States Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson administered the oath at 2:40 PM in the office of Secretary Harold L. Ickes, Department of Interior, Washington, D. C. 

Officials of the Philippine and United States Governments and members of the press witnessed the ceremony. 

President Sergio Osmeña said: “I am conscious of the tremendous responsibility that is mine as I assume the Presidency of the Philippines. I pledge all that is in me to serve the best interests of the Filipino people. My first objective is to cooperate with the American Government, sparing nothing, for the achievement of victory which means the complete liberation of the Philippines, Philippine relief and rehabilitation is one of our pressing problems... I have faith in America and in the American people, and as in the past, I know the United States will keep faith with us. The freedom of the Filipino people is my goal and the permanence of that independence once achieved I will strive to secure.”

(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan B. Uy) All rights reserved

Photo credit: wikipedia.org