Conrad Santos

Early Life and Education

Conrad Santos was born Conrado de Regla Santos. He was one of seven children of Federico Santos and Eugenia Marcelina de Regla. The family was from the town of Malolos in the Philippines. His family and friends called him Conrado or ka Rading.

Santos passed the Philippine bar examination in 1960 after getting two degrees in law from the University of the Philippines. He also received his Master of Public Administration the next year. Later on, he studied at Harvard University Law School and graduated with a Master of Laws in June 1962. That same year, he attended the University of Michigan where he was awarded a PhD in political science in 1964.

Santos married Emerita G. Maglaya and had three children: Evelyn, Conrad and Robert.

Immigration

Conrado Santos moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1965. There, he became a lecturer in political studies at the University of Manitoba. While working there, he also took law classes to work his way back to the bar. He was also appointed as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Chicago from 1971 to 1972.

In 1972, he became a consultant for the Canadian International Development Agency. He served as a consultant for Costa Rica’s ICAP or Instituto Centroamericano de Administracion Publica [Central American Institute of Public Administration]. Founded in 1954, ICAP trains public officials and provides advice to Central American governments. From 1977 to 1980, he also served as a board member of the Citizenship Council of Manitoba. (See also Canadian Citizenship.)

Political Career

Conrad Santos’ first attempt to run for public office came in the 1973 Manitoba general election (see Canadian Electoral System). Later on, he mentioned that he entered politics to have a government that served the needs of a diverse community. He ran as the New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate in the Fort Garry riding but lost.

Santos ran for public office again in 1977, but this time in the municipal elections (see City Politics). He announced his candidacy for the Winnipeg city council to represent Pembina Ward but his political bid was defeated that year. In 1980, his city council campaign failed once more.

Santos’ second provincial campaign was a success in 1981. On 17 November, he was elected in the riding of Burrows situated in northwest Winnipeg. He won the riding with a 3,506-vote majority. Santos became the first Canadian of Filipino origin to be elected to a legislative assembly in Canada. (See Members of Provincial and Territorial Legislatures.)

Santos delivered his first speech in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba on 26 February 1982. He pointed out the importance of integrity for civil servants. He also discussed the government’s responsibility in its exercise of power and promoting the rights of the people. His speech was met with praise. Santos was re-elected in the 1986 election, after which he also became the legislature’s deputy speaker. He was also appointed by then-Premier Howard Pawley to the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation’s board. He represented his riding as an NDP MLA for seven consecutive years.

In 1988, the ruling NDP government was facing internal divisions and was defeated when an NDP MLA defected to the opposition. In the run-up to the 1988 election, Santos lost the party nomination in his Burrows riding to fellow NDP member Doug Martindale. Santos was faced with controversy at the time. He had been accused of using his political influence to prevent the Winnipeg School Division from expropriating his house. Santos believed he lost the nomination because some of his supporters were not included in the voting lists.

In 1988, Premier Howard Pawley stepped down as leader. Santos tried to run as NDP party leader but joined the race late. He ended up receiving only five votes. Switching to municipal politics, Santos ran to become Winnipeg’s mayor during the 1989 municipal elections. He came in fourth among the 10 candidates.

In 1990, Santos announced that he would compete for the NDP nomination in Broadway. However, party leaders preferred 28-year-old Marianne Cerilli as the official candidate. Cerilli was a younger candidate with great potential. Nonetheless, Santos beat Cerilli by one vote. The results of the subsequent general election were also very tight. On 11 September, Santos was declared winner over sitting Liberal MLA Avis Gray by a difference of only 108 votes.

Santos represented the Winnipeg riding for nine years after winning re-election in April 1995. By 1999, the electoral division of Broadway was dissolved and broken up. Instead, he won the NDP nomination in the new Wellington riding and was re-elected to the Manitoba legislature on 21 September. He was also named deputy speaker (see also Speaker), though he was not included in the government’s cabinet. He served a second term in the riding after his constituents re-elected him in 2003.

Conrad Santos was a trailblazing politician. His career in Manitoba legislature paved the way for other Filipino politicians. He was an advocate for multicultural education in pursuit of easing racial tensions and holding the police accountable. He was also an outspoken supporter of immigrant working-class struggles (see also Working-Class History). He was known for his trademark vintage bicycle that he rode between the legislature and his home in Fort Garry. He also typically wore a military beret and a crossbody bag.

In 2002, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for his years of community service.

Fallout

Conrad Santos became mired in a membership scandal shortly before the 2007 election. He was accused of improperly recruiting members to the party. He did so by paying new recruits’ membership fees out of his own pocket which was not allowed. Santos initially denied the allegations.  In the run-up to the elections, he resigned from the NDP and became an independent candidate. He finished last in the race. Instead, Flor Marcelino was elected as the new NDP MLA. She became the first racialized woman to be elected in Manitoba and the first Filipina elected to any provincial legislature.

Santos eventually pleaded guilty to violating the province's Elections Finances Act. He admitted to soliciting 100 people to join the party to retain his nomination. He was fined $200 for false memberships and $150 in court fees.

While Santos was found guilty, his executive assistant noted that he was simply trying to help his low-income supporters. The assistant stated that the long-time MLA "didn't have the heart" to request membership fees from people who were unable to feed their families. He cited Santos’ poor health for his decision-making as well.

Later Life

Conrad Santos remained active in the Filipino community for many years. He was involved in several Winnipeg organizations including the Bulacan Association of Winnipeg and the Knights of Rizal. He also gave advice to groups like the Philippine Association of Manitoba and the United Council of Filipino Associations in Canada. He died at the Victoria General Hospital in Winnipeg on 29 February 2016. He was 81 years old.