Joaquin Gonzalez

Who was Joaquin Gonzalez?

Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez was a member of the Malolos Congress that wrote the Malolos Constitution, the first Philippine constitution, after the country declared independence from Spain in 1898. He was one of two elected delegates representing the province of Pampanga. Along with Felipe Calderon y Roca, the main author of the constitution, Dr. Gonzalez was part of a committee that took part in the debates that went article by article from October 25 to November 29, 1898.¹

On October 19, 1898, Dr. Gonzalez was designated as the first Rector/President of the Universidad Cientifico-Literaria de Filipinas by Philippine President Emilio Aguinaldo. The university had faculties of civil and criminal laws, as well as medicine and surgery.² He taught legal medicine, toxicology and public hygiene.

On April 1899, Dr. Gonzalez became one of seven members of the Permanent Commission of the National Assembly³ under the Malolos Constitution that had oversight powers over the President of the Republic, Representatives, Cabinet Secretaries, the Chief Justice and the Solicitor General during adjournment of the Assembly.⁴⁵