Manuel Roxas was the first president of the independent Republic of the Philippines from 1946 until his death in 1948. A lawyer by trade, Roxas began his political career in 1917 advocating for Philippine independence from the United States. He participated in the convention that drafted the Philippine constitution under the Tydings–McDuffie Act of 1934, which set the country on the path to self-governance. Roxas became president when the Philippines achieved full independence in 1946, but his administration faced challenges including corruption, police brutality, and a rebellion.