08/09/2025
Si Lolo Ticong...❤️❤️❤️
𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗼 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗴𝗮𝘆 (𝟭𝟵𝟬𝟮–𝟭𝟵𝟱𝟳)
Lawyer. Guerrilla Leader. Provincial Statesman
I. Early Life & Education
Born on October 10, 1902, in Gigaquit, Surigao, Protolico Perral Egay was the son of Don Hospicio Delapa Egay (1910-12), Municipal President of Gigaquit equivalent to town mayor, and Adelaida Perral. He descended from a line of local leaders, including his grandfather Don Macario Egay (1878-79, 1884-85, 1888-89), who served as Capitan or equivalent to town mayor during the Spanish era in Gigaquit.
He completed his early education in Gigaquit and Cebu, then earned his law degree from the Visayas Institute of Law, passing the Philippine Bar in 1927.
II. Lawyer in the Early Republic
As a young attorney, Protolico served under Governor Pedro Coleto, gaining firsthand experience in provincial governance during the fragile early years of American rule in the Philippines. His dedication to law and order soon led to his appointment as Provincial Sheriff of Surigao.
One of his most challenging cases was the ex*****on of a court order involving the steamship Yusingco. The vessel had been mortgaged to Yek Tong Fire & Marine Insurance Co. to secure obligations by Pelagio Yusingco and associates. Business tycoon Vicente Madrigal, who had guaranteed payment for repairs at Earnshaw Docks, won a legal judgment and demanded enforcement.
He executed the court's decision and auctioned the vessel. Though contested by third parties, the Supreme Court, in a 1937 decision, upheld his actions as lawful and proper, affirming his integrity in carrying out difficult judicial tasks.
III. Entry into Public Office
In 1940, he was elected Provincial Board Member of Surigao, serving with Board Member Vicente Pimentel and Governor Fernando Silvosa. His election was a mark of public confidence in his principled leadership and competence. But his time in elective office was soon interrupted by war.
Iv. When Japanese forces invaded in 1942,
He and his family fled to the mountains. They found temporary refuge among the Mamanwa, Indigenous allies whose generosity and protection helped them survive the early years of the occupation.
His cousin, Leopoldo Egay Eliot—son of former Governor Rafael Eliot and Josepha Egay—remained in town as Mayor of Gigaquit during the occupation. In a painful but strategic decision, Mayor Eliot surrendered peacefully to the Japanese in order to prevent bloodshed and the destruction of the town.
By August 31, 1943, Protolico’s reputation had reached the American-led guerrilla command. Colonel Wendell Fertig, commander of the 10th Military District, officially appointed him Guerrilla Governor of Surigao, with his headquarters at Sitio Tomorok, Nueva Campo, Claver. From this hidden mountain base, he coordinated with the 114th Infantry Regiment, tended to wounded guerrillas (and even Japanese POWs), and upheld civil order in the unoccupied zones.
V. Postwar Return: Appointed (1946)
In 1946, following liberation and reorganization of the provincial government, he was appointed again as Provincial Board Member, serving with Vicente Pimentel under Governor Fernando Silvosa.
That same year, he was also appointed Justice of the Peace for Gigaquit and Bacuag, continuing his commitment to public service and the legal system.
VII. Quo Warranto Challenge: Tumulak v. Egay (1949)
In 1948, former appointee Jose M. Tumulak filed a quo warranto petition questioning his legitimacy as justice of the peace.
In 1949, the Supreme Court held that challenges to a public office must be brought within one year of the alleged usurpation. This decision has since become a cornerstone precedent in Philippine legal history, frequently cited in later rulings involving disputed appointments to public office.
VIII. Family and Legacy
He continued in public service until his death in 1957. He married Maria Manongas of Gigaquit. They had eight children, many of whom became lawyers, professionals, and civic leaders:
Protolico M. Egay Jr. (†)
Atty. Marietta M. Egay-Eviota (†)
Atty. Carlos M. Egay Sr.
Engr. Renato Manuel M. Egay (†)
Ma. Consuelo Egay-Del Castillo
Ma. Fe M. Egay (†)
Atty. Virgilio M. Egay (†)
Letecia M. Egay (†)
For his service to the province during war and peace, one street in Barangay Ipil, Gigaquit, and another in Barangay San Juan, Surigao City, were later named in his honor.
📚 Primary and Secondary Sources
🏛️ Official Government and Legal Records
Supreme Court of the Philippines – G.R. No. 46699 (Yek Tong Lin Fire & Marine Insurance Co. vs. Egay, Sheriff, et al., 1939)
Protolico Egay is listed by name as the sheriff who executed a writ of attachment and public auction of the steamship Yusingco in Surigao.
This case established his lawful ex*****on of duties as Provincial Sheriff.
[Supreme Court Reports Annotated, 68 Phil. 500 (1939)]
Supreme Court of the Philippines – G.R. No. L-2637, February 24, 1949 (Jose Tumulak vs. Protolico Egay)
The Court ruled in favor of Egay, confirming his de facto service as Justice of the Peace of Gigaquit and Bacuag, Surigao.
[Off. Gazette, Vol. 45, No. 4 (April 1949)]
Philippine Guerrilla Recognition Files, United States Army (Record Group 407)
The guerrilla appointment of Protolico Egay as Governor was confirmed on August 31, 1943, under Col. Wendell Fertig’s 10th Military District.
Accessible at [National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Washington, D.C.]
🗳️ Political and Election Records
Philippine Official Directory (1940 & 1946 Editions)
Lists Protolico Egay as Board Member of Surigao elected in 1940 alongside Vicente Pimentel and under Governor Fernando Silvosa.
The Mindanao Daily (archival sources via local records)
Mentions Egay’s reappointment in 1946 as Board Member and subsequent Justice of the Peace role.
📰 Local Histories and Family Records
Egay Family Archives (Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte)
