1962–63 President of the Senate of the Philippines election

An election for the president of the Senate of the Philippines was held on January 24, 1962, two days after the opening session of the 5th Congress. It was the 23rd election for the Senate presidency in the chamber's history. Senate President pro tempore Fernando Lopez and Senate Minority Leader Ferdinand Marcos were the nominees of the Nacionalista Party and Liberal Party, respectively. Across the first four ballots, the vote was tied at 12–12, resulting in a deadlock that lasted for at least a month.

Incumbent Senate President Eulogio Rodriguez served in a holdover capacity from the 4th Congress until he was unseated by Marcos in a deciding ballot on April 5, 1963. This was also the election during which Senator Roseller T. Lim delivered the longest filibuster in Philippine Senate history, lasting a record 18 hours and 30 minutes.

Background The vote, originally scheduled for January 22, 1962, during the opening session of the 5th Congress, was postponed until two days later after a motion by Senator Estanislao Fernandez was approved. The postponement was intended to allow both parties to deliberate on their respective nominees and to retain the incumbent officers in a holdover capacity pursuant to the rules of the Senate.

Electoral system

Election January–February 1962: First ballots

On January 24, Senator Arturo Tolentino nominated Fernando Lopez as the Nacionalista Party (NP) candidate for the Senate presidency to succeed Eulogio Rodriguez, which was seconded by Gil Puyat. On the part of the Liberals, Minority Leader Ferdinand Marcos was nominated by Raul Manglapus, with the nomination seconded by Maria Kalaw Katigbak and Camilo Osías. During the roll call for nominal voting, Lopez and Marcos voted for one another as a courtesy traditionally extended during elections for Senate president. All other Liberal senators voted for Marcos, while all other Nacionalistas, together with Lorenzo Tañada, a member of the Nationalist Citizens' Party who caucused with the NP, voted for Lopez. The result was a 12–12 deadlock, which persisted through the next three ballots held on January 26, January 29, and February 26.

As stated in Cunanan v. Tan (1962), Eulogio Rodriguez served in a holdover capacity as Senate president while no candidate had obtained the required majority of 13 votes in any of the ballots. + 1962 election for president of the Senate (first four ballots) Party Nominees 1st ballotJanuary 24 2nd ballotJanuary 26 3rd ballotJanuary 29 4th ballotFebruary 26 Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Nacionalista Fernando Lopez 12 12 12 12 Liberal Ferdinand Marcos 12 12 12 12 Total votes 24 100.00 24 100.00 24 100.00 24 100.00

+ List of senators who participated in the election Senator Party Ballot vote cast 1st ballotJanuary 24 2nd ballotJanuary 26 3rd ballotJanuary 29 4th ballotFebruary 26 1 Lopez 2 Marcos 3 Marcos 4 Marcos 5 Marcos 6 Marcos 7 Marcos 8 Lopez 9 Lopez 10 Marcos 11 Lopez 12 Marcos 13 Marcos 14 Lopez 15 Marcos 16 Marcos 17 Lopez 18 Lopez 19 Marcos 20 Lopez 21 Lopez 22 Lopez 23 Lopez 24 Lopez

April 5, 1963: Roseller T. Lim's "Great Filibuster" and final ballot

Only 23 senators were present during the early stages of the Senate session on April 5, 1963, as Senator Alejandro Almendras was in the United States for a purported throat operation. Members of the Nacionalista Party sought to delay the vote for the Senate presidency until Almendras's arrival, as they needed his vote to block the ouster of incumbent Senate president Eulogio Rodriguez. On the eve of the vote, Senate Minority Leader Ferdinand Marcos reportedly visited Roseller T. Lim, a Nacionalista senator, and offered to pay the latter's loan, knowing that the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) was foreclosing on the mortgage of Lim's residence. Lim refused and, during a party caucus, offered to filibuster until Almendras's return.

Lim spoke on the Senate floor for 18 hours and 30 minutes, sustaining himself only with water and even relieving himself while standing without taking restroom breaks. When Almendras entered the session hall, Lim ended his filibuster and the motion to put the question to a vote was taken up. Lim collapsed and was laid on a stretcher before being immediately transported by ambulance to a hospital. Hours later, upon waking, Lim was surprised to learn that Almendras had crossed the floor and voted for Marcos, much to his disappointment.

Marcos was elected Senate president, defeating Rodriguez by a vote of 13 to 11.

Results + 1963 election for president of the Senate Party Nominees Votes % Liberal Ferdinand Marcos 13 Nacionalista Eulogio Rodriguez (incumbent) 11 Total votes 24 100.00

+ List of senators who participated in the election Senator Party Ballot vote cast 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Aftermath Marcos defected to the opposition Nacionalista Party in April 1964 after President Diosdado Macapagal reportedly refused to honor a prior agreement to field him as the Liberal Party's standard-bearer in the 1965 presidential election. Former Senate President Eulogio Rodriguez died in office several months later, on December 9, 1964.

Macapagal ran for re-election in November 1965 against Marcos and Raul Manglapus. Marcos won the election with 51% of the vote. Following Macapagal's defeat, Roseller T. Lim switched to the Liberal Party, where he remained until his death in 1976.

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