Alejo Mabanag

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Ragojo and the surname or paternal family name is Mabanag.

Alejo Ragojo Mabanag (July 14, 1886 – after 1961) was a Filipino lawyer and politician.

The Honourable Alejo Mabanag
30th Secretary of Justice
In office July 14, 1959 – December 30, 1961
Appointed by	Carlos P. Garcia
Preceded by	Enrique Fernandez
Succeeded by	José W. Diokno
Senator of the Philippines
In office December 30, 1953 – July 14, 1959
Constituency	At-large
In office May 25, 1946 – December 30, 1949
Constituency	At-large
In office 1931–1935
Preceded by	Alejandro de Guzmán
Succeeded by	Post abolished
Constituency	2nd district
In office 1922–1928
Preceded by	Pedro María Sison
Succeeded by	Teofilo Sison
Constituency	2nd district
Member of the Lingayen Municipal Council
In office 1916–1919
Personal details
Born	(1886-07-14)July 14, 1886 San Fernando, La Union, Captaincy General of the Philippines
Political party	Nacionalista
Alma mater	University of Santo Tomas (BA) La Jurisprudencia (LLB)

Early years

Mabanag was born on San Fernando, La Union, to Liberato Mabanag of Camalaniugan, Cagayan and Manuela Ragojo of Bangar, La Union.^[1]

Education

Mabanag worked as a clerk in the Executive Bureau from 1903 to 1912. During that time, he finished his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Santo Tomas in 1908 and his Bachelor of Laws degree from La Jurisprudencia in 1912.^[1] He then placed second in the bar examinations the same year and opened a law firm in Lingayen, Pangasinan.^[2]

Political career

Senatorial portrait of Mabanag, published by Benipayo Press, c. 1935

Mabanag was elected to the Lingayen municipal council from 1916 to 1919. He successfully ran for Senator to represent the Second Senatorial District from 1922 to 1928 and from 1931 to the abolition of the Senate in 1935.^[1]

Upon the establishment of the Commonwealth government in 1935, President Manuel L. Quezon appointed him Judge of the Court of First Instance of Iloilo up to 1938 and later named as city fiscal of Manila until 1945.^[1]

He successfully ran for an at-large seat in the Senate in 1946 but lost reelection in 1949. Nevertheless, he stayed in the chamber as chief counsel of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee^[2] and in the 1953 elections was elected again as a Senator under the Nacionalista Party ticket.^[1]

In 1959, he was appointed by President Carlos P. Garcia to become his Secretary of Justice before his term in the Senate ended.^[2] He served until 1961.^[3]

Family

He was married to Jacoba Ramirez^[2] and had 13 children.