A special election (known elsewhere as "by-elections") for the seat of La Laguna's 1st district in the Philippine Assembly, the lower house of the Philippine Legislature of the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands, was held on December 13, 1910. This was triggered due to the appointment of the incumbent delegate Potenciano Malvar as the governor of La Laguna (now called simply as Laguna). Marcos Paulino won the special election, defeating Serviliano Platon, a flip from the Nacionalista Party to the Progresista Party.
Background Juan Cailles, a Progresista Party stalwart, was to retire as governor of La Laguna. In the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, the Nacionalista Party's Domingo Ordoveza won, but Governor-General William Cameron Forbes, upon the advice of vice governor Newton W. Gilbert, was convinced that Ordoveza bought votes and refused to seat him nor Cailles, and will appoint someone from the Nacionalista Party instead. On September 22, 1910, Forbes appointed Potenciano Malvar, the younger brother of Miguel Malvar and incumbent delegate from La Laguna's 1st district, as governor, succeeding Cailles. La Democracia newspaper had opposed Malvar's appointment, pointing out that he was ineligible for the post as a sitting member of the Philippine Assembly. La Democracia is the official organ of the Progresistas. A day later, the Philippine Commission approved the appointment of Malvar as provincial governor. On October 4, Forbes scheduled the special election for the vacant assembly seat on December 13.
District profile La Laguna's 1st district composed of the province's western municipalities of Bay, Binang, Cabuyao, Calamba, Calauang, Los Baños, Pila, San Pablo, San Pedro Tunasan, and Santa Rosa. Although legally part of San Pablo at the time, Alaminos was listed separately.
Candidates A total of two persons ran to fill the vacant seat, namely: Marcos Paulino (Progresista), municipal president of San Pablo (1902–1906) Serviliano Platon (Nacionalista), former revolutionary captain and law graduate
Results Marcos Paulino of the Progresista Party defeated Serviliano Platon of the Nacionalistas. The latter carried Calauang, Los Baños, Santa Rosa and San Pedro Tunasan, Binang saw a tied result, and the former won in Alaminos, Bay, Calamba, Cabuyao, Pila and San Pablo. Paulino's win increased the number of opposition Progresistas in the assembly during the 2nd Philippine Legislature. Paulino took his oath of office at the Ayuntamiento de Manila on December 20, 1910.
Per town +TownPaulinoPlatonTotalVotes%Votes%Alaminos 200 74.07%7025.93%270Bay 76 50.33%7549.67%151Binang10650.00%10650.00%212Cabuyao 91 60.26%6039.74%151Calamba 107 66.46%5433.54%161Calauang3345.21% 40 54.79%73Los Baños2130.88% 47 69.12%68Pila 64 51.61%6048.39%124San Pablo 725 67.32%35232.68%1,077San Pedro Tunasan3543.75% 45 56.25%80Santa Rosa3325.00% 99 75.00%132Total 1,491 59.66%1,00840.34%2,499
Notes
Aftermath Platon won the district's seat in the 1912 general election, then became a judge of the court of first instance in Tayabas during the 1930s. Paulino later became governor of Laguna from 1914 to 1916.
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