Basilio Augustín | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 113thGovernor-General of the Philippines | |
| In office April 11 – July 24, 1898 | |
| Preceded by | Fernando Primo de Rivera |
| Succeeded by | Fermín Jáudenes |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1840-02-12)February 12, 1840 Cádiz,Province of Cádiz |
| Died | August 7, 1910(1910-08-07) (aged 70) Vitoria-Gasteiz,Álava |
Basilio Augustín y Dávila (February 12, 1840 – August 7, 1910) was a Spanish colonial administrator who served asGovernor-General of the Philippines from April 11 to July 24, 1898.[1]
He was born inCádiz on February 12, 1840. On April 11, 1898, Augustín was appointed as Governor-General of the Philippines. During his tenure, theSpanish–American War began, which he claimed would be "short" and Spain would gain a "decisive" victory.[2] Spanish forces were decisively defeated by theUnited States Navy in theBattle of Manila Bay, which led to the return of Filipino revolutionaryEmilio Aguinaldo from exile and the beginning of the second phase of thePhilippine Revolution, during which, on June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo issued thePhilippine Declaration of Independence.
Augustín attempted to establish a consultative assembly of FilipinoIlustrados loyal to Spain and form a newmilitia, promotingautonomy to uphold Spanish colonial rule. He offered one millionpesos to Aguinaldo in exchange for giving up but the latter refused. However, it did gain support from high-ranking Filipino revolutionaries such asArtemio Ricarte due to the efforts ofPedro Paterno. He stopped being Governor-General on July 24, 1898.
His plans for reform ended in failure as most of the Spanish-trained Filipino militia deserted to the revolutionaries, and his consultative assembly finally dissolved in 1899, with most of its members becoming signers of theMalolos Constitution and members of theMalolos Congress. In August 1898, theUnited States Army occupied Manila, and in December 1898 Spain signed theTreaty of Paris, transferring the disputed sovereignty over the Philippines to theUnited States. In 1899, thePhilippine–American War began between American and Philippine revolutionary forces. Augustín returned to Spain, where he died atVitoria-Gasteiz,Álava on August 7, 1910.
| Government offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Governor-General of the Philippines April 11 – July 24, 1898 | Succeeded by |
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| National | |
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