Arsenio Cruz Herrera, designated president of the municipal board of Manila, was named the City of Manila’s first mayor on Aug. 7, 1901, by William Howard Taft, coinciding with the proclamation of the Manila charter.
However, he was dissatisfied with being a mere figurehead, and after denouncing Gov. Luke Wright’s policies before the visiting party of Taft, he resigned on Sept. 18, 1905.
Herrera was born in Tondo, Manila, on Dec. 14, 1863.
A lawyer by profession, he was also a law professor at Liceo de Manila and Academia de Leyes where he was dean.
He died on April 8, 1918, at the age of 54. —Marielle Medina / Inquirer Research
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