Benigno Ramos

:"See Pugad Baboy for the Filipino comic character Igno who shares this name."

Benigno Ramos (1893-1946?) was an advocate for the independence of the Philippines from the United States who collaborated with Japan.

Educated in Bulacan, he went to work there as a teacher. [David R. Sturtevant, 'Sakdalsim and Philippine Radicalism', "Journal of Asian Studies", Vol. 21, No. 2. (Feb., 1962), p.201 ] Later, whilst based in Manila, he entered the civil service and by 1928 had risen to a high position with the Senate Staff. He became a member of the Nacionalista Party and a close associate of Manuel L. Quezon but this came to an end in 1930 when he joined a wildcat strike by teachers in the capital, causing Quezon to demand his resignation. Ramos did so but became a figure of anti-Quezon agitation, setting up a Tagalog language newspaper "Sakdal" which gained a wide circulation in rural areas. [Sturtevant, op cit]

Ramos reconstituted his followers as the Sakdalista movement. Gaining as many as 20,000 members the group launched an attempted uprising in May 1935 but this was quickly crushed and Ramos went into exile in Japan. [ [http://www.workmall.com/wfb2001/philippines/philippines_history_resistance_movements.html Philippines Resistance Movements] ]

Ramos returned to Manila on August 28, 1938 onboard the German ship Gneisenau. [Grant K. Goodman, 'Review of "Origins of the Philippine Republic. Extracts from the Diaries and Records of Francis Burton Harrison" byFrancis Burton Harrison and Michael P. Onorato', "Journal of Asian Studies", Vol. 34, No. 3. (May, 1975), p. 864] He became leader of the Ganap Party which contested the 1941 elections (although Ramos himself was imprisoned during the vote). [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,801271-1,00.html'Bedroom Campaign'] from "Time", November 24, 1941] During the Japanese occupation this group became part of the KALIBAPI governing coalition, whilst Ramos formed the Makapili, a militant youth movement that aimed to limit the power of José P. Laurel and to provide soldiers for Japan. [Jovito Salonga, [http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/54a/056.html 'A tribute to Dr. Jose P. Laurel'] ] The followers of Ramos and his ally Artemio Ricarte were eventually armed by the Japanese in December 1944 by which time the Americans had already landed.

Accounts differ on what happened to Ramos after the fall of the Philippines; some claim that he was killed in an airplane crash in Baguio along with the retreating Japanese.

As well as his political activism, Ramos was also noted as a writer of poetry with a collection "Mga Agam-agam at Iba Pang Tula" due for publication. [ [http://www.pantas.ph/lit-elib/poetry-download.html#agam Link to publication of Ramos' poetry book] ]

References