Philippine Assembly

When the act was passed in 1902, the appointed Governor-General to the Philippines, William Howard Taft, envisioned that the Assembly would improve Philippine-American relations, and prepare the Filipinos for eventual self-rule.

The Nacionalista Party, which was in favor of "immediate and complete independence" from the United States and was led by future President Sergio Osmeña, captured a majority of the 80-seat Assembly.

[6] The event was attended both by Taft (then Secretary of War of the United States), and the new Governor-General James Francis Smith.

With less than two dozen delegates, the Progresistas were not able to elect a Speaker from their ranks and were marginalized from the talks amongst the Nacionalistas.

Osmeña found two opponents for the Speakership: Gomez who defeated Justo Lukban by 31 votes, and Pedro Paterno.

Gomez was permitted to take his seat, but not after seven months has passed, and after Osmeña was elected Speaker[9] on October 16, 1907, with Quezon as the majority floor leader.

Under the Jones Law of 1916, and following elections to both houses, a bicameral legislature composed exclusively of Filipinos was inaugurated on October 16, 1916.