JUSTINIANO
S. MONTANO (1905 -?)
JUSTINIANO S. MONTANO, a man who dominated
Cavite politics for more than three decades, studied at the college of law of
the University of the Philippines, and when he took the bar examinations he
placed second among the topnotchers, rating 100 per cent in civil law. He was
the first representative of Cavite under the Commonwealth.
Born
in barrio Amaya, Tanza, on September 5, 1905, the second son of the late Julian
Montano, Sr. and Irene Solis, Justiniano obtained his early education from the
Tanza Elementary School, 1920;U.P. High School, 1924; and the college of law,
University of the Philippines 1930. immediately after passing the bar
examinations he was appointed assistant fiscal of Cavite, a position which he
held for one year, after which he went into a lucrative law practice.
In
935 Montano ran for the first National assembly under the Commonwealth and was
elected by a big majority. He ran for reelection in 1938, was proclaimed
winner, but after a protracted electoral protest he chose to resign. To show
his political enemies who’s who in Cavite he ran for representative in 1941, was
no electoral protest as he had won by a majority of more than 1,000 votes. He
was reelected for the third time in 1946, as a Nacionalista.
In
1949 Montano was elected to the Senate for a six-year term. In the Upper House
he distinguished himself as one of the leaders of the “little Senate,” a bloc
that controlled senate policies. He authored the resolution creating the “Blue
Ribbon Committee” that investigated government anomalies and/or irregularities.
After
his Senate stint Montano returned to the House of Representatives in 1958, and
was successively reelected as a Liberal in 1961, 1966,and 1969, this last term
being cut short by the proclamation of martial law on September 21, 1972.
Married
to the former Ligaya Nazareno of Naic, Montano has seven children, the most
prominent of whom was Delfin, Governor of Cavite for four consecutive terms.
For the past several years Montano has been residing abroad, reportedly
teaching law and Spanish in American universities.
[Sources:(1) Isidro L. Retizos and
D.H. Soriano, “Justiniano S. Montano,” Philippines Who’s Who. Quezon
City, Capital Publishing House, 1957;(2) Isidro L. Retizos, “ Justiniano S.
Montano,” Graphic, June 30, 1966; and (3) Biodata Furnished by Governor
Remulla’s office.]