WENCESLAO
Q. VINZONS
(1910 - 1942)
Wenceslao Vinzons was born on
He was awardee of the Manuel L. Quezon
gold medal for excellence for his oration entitled “Malaysia Irredenta” and the
Abad Santos medal for excellence in debate. He was editor-in-chief of the UP’s Philippine Collegian, president of the
student council, and member of the Upsilon
Sigma Phi fraternity.
He seldom used his cars, preferring to
take the Meralco bus to the university and back to his residence. This endeared
him to his felloe students. Arturo M Tolentino, Ambrosio Padilla, Arturo B.
Rotor, Amado G. Dayrit, Salvador P. Lopez, ad other eminent campus writers and
leaders looked up to him.
In 1932, he led the youth movement in
protest against the salary increase of the members of the Manila Municipal
Council.
In 1933, he placed third in the bar
examination. He won on a seat in the Constitutional Convention in 1934 at the
age of 23. He was voted most outstanding young man in politics before the war.
He founded the Young Philippines Party.
He was one of those responsible for
making Tagalog the national language of the Filipinos. In the 1935 elections,
he supported General Emilio Aguinaldo for preside3ncy against President Manuel
L. Quezon. He went from province to province explaining the necessity of having
a balanced two-party system to prevent abuses, corruption and inefficiency in
governmental affairs.
His scathing attack led to his
prosecution for the crime of libel and sedition. He was judged guilty by the
Court of First Instance of Cavite but was aquited by the Court of Appeals.
In 1940, he became Governor of
Camarines Norte. He was noted for his adult education among the masses. In
1941, he was elected Congressman of his province.
At the outbreak of the World War II, he
organized the first guerilla unit, the Citizen’s Army and the Vinzon’s Guerilla
in the Bicol Region. He fought he enemy at Laniton and Tigbinan on December 17,
1941.On
On
He did not budge from his seat. “I
know”, he answered. “I have read it twice. They are asking you to execute me.”
“Fifty peopoor say you dorobo (bandit).
I kirr dorobo.”
“I have not had a trial”, he said. “The
Geneva Convention says enemy soldiers captured are not to be killed.”
“You terr where your men go. Where
Americans go.”
“Your captain, Azano, captured me in
the mountains. I do not know where my men or where their guns are now.”
The Japanese commander shrieked “You
rie! You rie!” and slapped him across the face. “You know. Your wife, she rie!
She die! I kirr you too!”
He answered quietly. “Nothing can make
me happier than to die for my country, major. You will die too…”
Tsuneoka thrust his bayonet into
Vinzon’s stomach. A Japanese corporal, Kuzumi Taiku, hit the helpness
resistance leader with a rifle butt at the back of the head.
He was killed together with his wife,
Liwayway Gonzales, his father, a sister, and two children. Their remains have
never been recovered.
His hometown Indan, was renamed after him. In