The development of Philippine politics

PROGRESS TOWARDS RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT 3377

legislature from occupying positions created by them, in
1916 there was no cabinet post open to a member of the
Legislature except the secretaryship of the Interior, and this
was later filled by a senator. But in subsequent elections
all the cabinet posts, except the secretaryship of education,
if deemed necessary, could be filled by legislative members.
Secretaries of departments may be called by either of the
two Houses of the Legislature for the purpose of reporting
on matters pertaining to their departments. The importance of the latter provision should not be overlooked. As
expressed by Senator Palma, it "may not look like very
much on paper, but in reality it signifies a great deal. The
department heads will not only have to give the information
required of them, but being often subjected to minute interrogation they will have to explain and defend their official acts. If the Houses can demand of them that they
give an account of their official acts, they are responsible
to the Houses, though ultimately responsible to the Governor-General." Again, only "a citizen of the Philippine
Islands," thirty years of age, who has resided in the Islands continuously during three years next preceding his
appointment, can be appointed. This means that only Filipinos can become secretaries of departments, for practically
no American is a citizen of the Philippines.
Speaker Osmefia, in explaining his vote on the Reorganization Law, said:
The fundamental theory of this bill is that, inasmuch as
the country must exercise all the powers conferred upon it
by the Jones Act, without sterile vacillation or cowardly
renunciation, the departmental direction of the administrative activities should, so far as possible, be in the hands of
Filipinos. For this reason the Chief Executive has ceased
to be a departmental head in the sense in which he used to
be, and the Secretary of Public Instruction, who is not responsible to the Philippine Legislature, will, under the new
plan, have no executive functions but those assigned to him
by the Congress of the United States. Neither the GovernorGeneral nor the Secretary of Public Instruction will perform
the duties of any departmental office belonging to other Secretaries, during the absence or temporary incapacity of the