February 19 is José Abad Santos Day

The National Library of the Philippines (NLP) and the whole nation celebrates the 136th birth anniversary of Chief Justice José Abad Santos.

Abad Santos was born on February 19, 1886 in San Fernando, Pampanga at the height of the Philippine Revolution against Spanish rule. He was sent to the United States as part of the first generation of Filipinos to study in American Universities and returned with a law degree and a formidable legal mind. He was later appointed to various positions, especially as Secretary of Justice, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and, briefly, as Acting President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. He was ordered executed by the Japanese government when he declined to take an oath of allegiance to Japan. His unwavering patriotism is memorialized on the thousand peso bill, together with fellow martyrs of the resistance against the Japanese occupation of World War II, Brigadier General Vicente Lim and Girl Scouts of the Philippines Founder Josefa Llanes Escoda.

Source: https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/about/gov/judiciary/sc/cj/jose-abad-santos/

Proclamation No. 374, s. 1956 declares February 19 of every year as the José Abad Santos Day: https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1956/12/26/proclamation-no-374-s-1956/

This photo of José Abad Santos is from NLP Digital Collection – Philippine Heroes: https://nlpdl.nlp.gov.ph/web/exh2018080101/vlist/date.htm