Vicente de Vera was a Filipino lawyer and politician from Sorsogon during the American occupation.

Vicente de Vera
Chairman of the
Commission on Elections
In office
1947 – April 10, 1951
Appointed byManuel Roxas
Preceded byJose Lopez Vito
Succeeded byDomingo Imperial
Commissioner on Elections
In office
1945–1947
Appointed bySergio Osmeña
Preceded byRufino Luna
Senator of the Philippines from the 6th District
In office
June 3, 1919 – June 2, 1925
Preceded byMario Guariña
Succeeded byJosé O. Vera
Member of the House of Representatives from Sorsogon's 1st district
In office
October 16, 1907 – October 16, 1909
Preceded byoffice established
Succeeded byLeoncio Grajo
Governor of Sorsogon
In office
1904–1904
Preceded byBernardino Monreal
Succeeded byBernardino Monreal
Personal details
BornAugust 22, 1871
Bulan, Sorsogon, Captaincy General of the Philippines
DiedApril 10, 1951(1951-04-10) (aged 79)
Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines
Political partyNacionalista

Biography

edit

Vicente de Vera was born on August 22, 1871, in Bulan, Sorsogon.

De Vera was appointed vice mayor of the municipality of Sorsogon in 1904. That same year, he temporarily replaced Bernardino Monreal as governor of Sorsogon province.[1] In 1907, De Vera was elected to the newly established Philippine House of Representatives representing the 1st district of Sorsogon, serving until 1909[2] and becoming chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary.[3] In 1919, De Vera was elected to the Senate of the Philippines representing the 6th Senatorial District which comprised the Bicol region, serving until 1925.[4]

In 1945, De Vera was appointed to become a member of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), becoming its chairman in 1947. He oversaw several electoral exercises in the county such as the 1946 Philippine presidential election, the 1947 Philippine constitutional plebiscite, the 1947 Philippine Senate election, and the 1949 Philippine presidential election. De Vera served as COMELEC chair until his death in 1951.[5]

Personal life

edit

De Vera's son, Teodoro de Vera, served as a senator for the Liberal Party from 1949 to 1952, which led to an unsuccessful attempt by the latter's rivals in the Nacionalista Party to have the elder de Vera removed by the Supreme Court as COMELEC chairman due to a supposed conflict of interest in his son's election.[6]

References

edit
  1. ^ Totanes, Stephen. "Promoting Un Bien Gobierno in Sorsogon, 1902-1907". Philippine Studies. Ateneo de Manila University Press. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  2. ^ "ROSTER of Philippine Legislators (from 1907 to 2019)" (PDF). House of Representatives of the Philippines. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  3. ^ Philippine assembly Official Directory First Philippine legislature. Manila: Bureau of Printing. 1908.
  4. ^ "List of Previous Senators". Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. ^ "History of the Commission on Elections". comeleclaw.tripod.com/. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  6. ^ "G.R. No. L-3474. December 7, 1949. THE NACIONALISTA PARTY, MARCELO ADDURU, DOMOCAO ALONTO, PEDRO C. HERNAEZ, TRINIDAD F. LEGARDA, ALEJO MABANAG, CLARO M. RECTO, JOSE O. VERA, and JOSE VELOSO Petitioners, vs. VICENTE DE VERA, as Chairman of the Commission on Elections, Respondent". Chan Robles Law Library. Retrieved January 25, 2024.