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Oscar Benito Rufasta Ledesma (August 3, 1902 – December 17, 1995) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, cabinet secretary and diplomat.
Oscar Ledesma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Senator of the Philippines | |
| In office 30 December 1957 – 30 December 1963 | |
| Member of the House of Representatives from Iloilo's 2nd district | |
| In office 9 June 1945 – 30 December 1949 | |
| Preceded by | district reestablished |
| Succeeded by | Pascual Espinosa |
| In office 10 December 1940 – 30 December 1941 | |
| Preceded by | Ruperto Montinola |
| Succeeded by | district abolished |
| Secretary of Commerce and Industry | |
| In office 1953–1957 | |
| Appointed by | Ramon Magsaysay |
| Preceded by | Cornelio Balmaceda |
| Succeeded by | Pedro Hernaez |
| Ambassador of the Philippines to the United States | |
| In office 1964–1966 | |
| Appointed by | Diosdado Macapagal |
| Preceded by | Amelito Mutuc |
| Succeeded by | Salvador P. Lopez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 3, 1902 Silay, Negros Occidental, Philippine Islands |
| Died | December 17, 1995 (aged 93) Quezon City, Philippines |
| Political party | Nacionalista |
Biography edit
Oscar Ledesma was born on August 3, 1902, in Silay, Negros Occidental. He was the son of a landowner and sugar baron. Ledesma received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the Ateneo de Manila. In 1925 he received his bachelor 's degree in law from the University of the Philippines. In the same year, he was admitted to the Bar.[1]
In 1940, Ledesma was appointed mayor of Iloilo City by President Manuel Quezon. In December of that year, Ledesma was elected in a special election to replace Ruperto Montinola, who died in office, as representative of the 2nd district of Iloilo in the National Assembly. He was reelected in 1941 but was not sworn in until 1945 due to the Japanese occupation of the country during the Second World War. During that period, he joined the guerrilla movement. Upon the resumption of Congress after Liberation in 1945, he was reelected in 1946 and served in office until 1949.[2] In 1953 he joined the cabinet of President Ramon Magsaysay as his Secretary of Commerce and Industry. After Magsaysay's death in office in 1957 he resigned from the cabinet and successfully ran for the Senate as a Nacionalista candidate, serving until 1963.[3] In 1964, he was appointed by President Diosdado Macapagal as ambassador to the United States, serving until 1966. During his tenure, he was able to obtain a favorable quota for sugar exports to the US. In 1971, he was elected to the Constitutional Convention representing Iloilo.[1]
Ledesma was married to Juanita Javellana and died in his house in Quezon City after a long illness on December 17, 1995.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c Bernad, Miguel (1996). Oscar Ledesma. O. Ledesma and Co. Inc.
- ^ "ROSTER of Philippine Legislators (from 1907 to 2019)" (PDF). House of Representatives of the Philippines. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ "Roster of Philippine Senators". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
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