(1903- 1957)
LAWYER AND
LEGISLATOR
Lawyer and former
assemblyman, Tomas L. Cabili was born in Iligan, Lanao del Norte on March 7,
1903. His parents were Guillermo Cabili and Efifania H. Lluima. He was also
known as Sultan Demasangkayko-Ranao
Cabili studied at Iligan
primary school, 1915-1918. From 1919 to 1923,he enrolled in four different
schools to complete his secondary education; the Zamboanga Provincial High
School, 1919 to 1920; Cebu High School, 1920 to 1921; Siliman Institute, 1921
to 1922; and finally, the Cebu Provincial High School, 1922 to 1923.
Cabili received his
Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the Philippines-Cebu in 1925,and
then pursued a law course at the Visayan Institute, also in Cebu, from
1925to1927.He transferred to the Philippine College of law, where he completed
his bachelor of laws degree in 1929.
In 1934,he was appointed
justice of the peace of the municipal district of Lanao as well as of Dansalan,
the capital of Lanao. He became a delagate to the Constitutional Assembly,
serving on the commitees on agriculture, codes, franchises, provincial and
municipal government, national language, public instruction, Mindanao and
special provinces, appropriations, civil service, and public lands.
Assemblyman Cabili was the
only delegate to the Constitutional Convention who did not assign the 1935
Constitution, which was formally ratified on February 8,1935. He pointed out
seven reasons why he refused to, namely: 1. That it carried no provision on
promoting the progress of non-Christian Filipinos, in accordance with Article
XII, Section 5 of the Fundamental Law; 2.that it placed too much power in the
Executive department, and thus might encourage the establishment of a
dictatorial government; 3that it Carried no provision for municipal and
provincial autonomy; 4.that it might encourage communism by allowing the
government to appropriate and substitute landed estates; 5. That is safeguards
against acquisition of agriculture lands by foreigners were not sufficient;
6.that it had no provision for the nationalization of the retail trade; 7. That
at the time of the drafting of the constitution, there was too much inter
vention “from the out side,” especially from President Manuel L. Quezon.
In 1938,Cabili was reelected.
He served the Second National Assembly as chairman of the committee on
privileges and member of committees on agriculture, appropriations, forest,
Mindanao and special provinces, and national companies.
Cabili was, married to the
former Felicitas N. Pepito of Cebu. They have five children, namely, Vismundo,
Camilo, Fe, Fulgencio, and Teodoro Delano. He was a member of the Presbyterian
Church. He passed away on March 17, 1957 at age of 54.
Manilyn Karen Sisante