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The ''gobernadorcillo'' (, literally "little governor") was a municipal judge or governor in the Philippines during the
Among the local leaders in the Spanish Philippines, the gobernadorcillos and Filipino officials of justice received the greatest consideration from the Spanish crown officials. The colonial officials were under obligation to show them the honor corresponding to their respective duties. They were allowed to be seated in the houses of the Spanish provincial governors, and in any other places. They were not to be left standing. It was not permitted for Spanish parish priests to treat these Filipino nobles with less consideration.
On the day on which the gobernadorcillo would take on government duties, his town would hold a grand celebration. The festive banquet was offered in the municipal or city hall where he would occupy a seat, adorned by the coat of arms of Spain and with fanciful designs, if his social footing was of a respectable antiquity.
On holy days the town officials would go to the church, together in one group. The principalía and '' "cuadrilleros"'', police patrol or assistance, formed two lines in front of the gobernadorcillo. They were preceded by a band playing the music as they processed towards the church, where the gobernadorcillo occupied a seat in precedence among those of the chiefs or ''cabezas de barangay'', who had benches of honor. After the mass, they would usually go to the parish rectory to pay their respects to the parish priest. Then, they would return to the tribunal (municipal hall or city hall) in the same order, and still accompanied by the band playing a loud double quick march called in Spanish a paso doble.
The gobernadorcillo was always accompanied by an '' alguacil'' or ''policia'' (police officer) whenever he went about the streets of his town.
The ''gobernadorcillo'' (, literally "little governor") was a municipal judge or governor in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
, who carried out in a town the combined charges or responsibilities of leadership, economic, and judicial administration. The ''gobernadorcillo'' was the leader of a town or ''pueblo'' (people or population). In a coastal town, the ''gobernadorcillo'' functioned as a port captain. They were appointed through an exclusive nomination provided by the Spanish law. Their term of office lasted for two years.
The position of a ''gobernadorcillo'' was honorary and mandatory in order to afford him those valid exemptions signified in the Philippine law. At the end of his biennial term he would enter and form part of the principalía, and was entitled to enjoy the honors and preeminence inherent to this state. This "mayor", who was at the same time "justice of the peace
A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...
" and port captain, was directly responsible to the governor of the province in the exercise of his office.
In 1893, the Maura Law was passed with the aim of making the municipal governments in the Philippine Islands more effective and autonomous. One of the changes that this law brought about was the reorganization of certain structures of town governments, among which was the designation of town head's title, that is, ''gobernadorcillo'', also as ''capitan municipal'', effective 1895."''Por «término municipal» se entenderá en Filipinas el formado por los pueblos en que haya Capitán ó Gobernadorcillo; por «Juez municipal» el de paz ó el Capitán ó Gobernadorcillo en los casos en que hagan las veces del último; por Fiscal municipal, en donde no lo haya, el Teniente de sementeras.''" Ministerio de Ultramar, ''Ley Hipotecaria para las Provincias de Ultramar'', Art. 413, 1°, Edicion Oficial, Madrid: 1893, Imprenta de la Viuda de M. Minuesa de los Rios, p. 150.
System of election
The ''gobernadocillo'' was elected from among the ranks of the principalía by twelve senior '' cabezas de barangay''. He was the ''primus inter pares
''Primus inter pares'' is a Latin phrase meaning first among equals. It is typically used as an honorary title for someone who is formally equal to other members of their group but is accorded unofficial respect, traditionally owing to their sen ...
'' of the ''cabezas'' of a confederation of barangays that made up a municipality. The electors had to choose two candidates who were to compose a list, called "''terna''". It was a requirement that the respective place of each nominee in the ''terna'' be indicated. ''The candidates must be able to speak, read, and write the Castilian language. If anyone was elected who did not possess these qualifications, the election would be considered null and void.''The same requirements were demanded in the election of officers of justice in the municipalities. The election of a ''gobernadorcillo'' was by ballot. It was authorized by a notary and presided over by the provincial chief. The priest of the town may be present if he wishes, to express what opinions he may consider fitting, but for no other purpose. The sealed envelopes containing the election results in provinces near Manila were sent to superior offices of the government in the capital. From the ''terna'', the
governor-general
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
appointed the gobernadorcillo, taking into consideration the report of the president of the election. In distant territories, the chief of each province appointed the nominee who got the highest vote.
Honors accorded to gobernadorcillos
Among the local leaders in the Spanish Philippines, the gobernadorcillos and Filipino officials of justice received the greatest consideration from the Spanish crown officials. The colonial officials were under obligation to show them the honor corresponding to their respective duties. They were allowed to be seated in the houses of the Spanish provincial governors, and in any other places. They were not to be left standing. It was not permitted for Spanish parish priests to treat these Filipino nobles with less consideration.
On the day on which the gobernadorcillo would take on government duties, his town would hold a grand celebration. The festive banquet was offered in the municipal or city hall where he would occupy a seat, adorned by the coat of arms of Spain and with fanciful designs, if his social footing was of a respectable antiquity.
On holy days the town officials would go to the church, together in one group. The principalía and '' "cuadrilleros"'', police patrol or assistance, formed two lines in front of the gobernadorcillo. They were preceded by a band playing the music as they processed towards the church, where the gobernadorcillo occupied a seat in precedence among those of the chiefs or ''cabezas de barangay'', who had benches of honor. After the mass, they would usually go to the parish rectory to pay their respects to the parish priest. Then, they would return to the tribunal (municipal hall or city hall) in the same order, and still accompanied by the band playing a loud double quick march called in Spanish a paso doble.
The gobernadorcillo was always accompanied by an '' alguacil'' or ''policia'' (police officer) whenever he went about the streets of his town.
Duties
The gobernadorcillos exercised command of the towns. They were port captains in coastal towns. Their office corresponded to that of thealcalde
Alcalde (; ) is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An ''alcalde'' was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian '' cabildo'' (the municipal council) a ...
s and municipal judges of the peninsula
A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...
. They simultaneously performed the functions of judges and even of notaries with defined powers. They also had the rights and powers to elect assistants and several lieutenants and ''alguaciles'', proportionate in number to the inhabitants of the town.
Responsibilities
* To give notice of ordinances for good government. * build public infrastractures in his town and other public works. * Collect some other taxes that are specified in their own credentials during their appointment in office. * Hear and judge civil cases up to the value of two taels of gold, or forty pesos. * They take action in criminal cases by collecting preliminary evidence, which they submit to the provincial chiefs. * Aid the parish priest in issues pertaining to worship and the observance of religious doctrine. * Oversee the collection of royal revenue.See also
* Filipino styles and honorifics * Cabeza de BarangayNotes
References
{{reflist, refs= {{cite book , editor1-last = BLAIR , editor1-first = Emma Helen , editor1-link = Emma Helen Blair , editor2-last = ROBERTSON , editor2-first = James Alexander , editor2-link = James Alexander Robertson , others = Historical introduction and additional notes byEdward Gaylord BOURNE
Edward Gaylord Bourne, Ph. D. (June 24, 1860 – February 24, 1908) was an American historian. He was born in Strykersville, New York, and educated at Yale graduating in 1883 with high honors. He taught at Adelbert College, Cleveland from 188 ...
; additional translations by Henry B. Lathrop
, title = The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898
, url = http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15530
, volume = 17 of 55 (1609–1616)
, year = 1904
, publisher = Arthur H. Clark Company
, location = Cleveland, Ohio
, oclc = 769945708
, isbn = 978-1426486869
, quote = Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century.
, name-list-style = amp
{{cite book
, editor1-last = BLAIR
, editor1-first = Emma Helen
, editor1-link = Emma Helen Blair
, editor2-last = ROBERTSON
, editor2-first = James Alexander
, editor2-link = James Alexander Robertson
, others = Historical introduction and additional notes by Edward Gaylord BOURNE
Edward Gaylord Bourne, Ph. D. (June 24, 1860 – February 24, 1908) was an American historian. He was born in Strykersville, New York, and educated at Yale graduating in 1883 with high honors. He taught at Adelbert College, Cleveland from 188 ...
; additional translations by Robert W. Haight, Arthur B. Myrick, Helen E. Thomas and Alfonso de Salvio
, title = The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898
, url = http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26004
, volume = 27 of 55 (1636–1637)
, year = 1905
, publisher = Arthur H. Clark Company
, location = Cleveland, Ohio
, oclc = 769945240
, isbn = 978-0559408311
, quote = Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century.
, name-list-style = amp
{{cite encyclopedia
, year = 1921
, title = Principalía
, encyclopedia = Enciclopedia Universal Ilustrada Europeo-Americana
, publisher = Espasa-Calpe, S.A.
, location = Madrid
, volume = XLVII
Local politicians in the Philippines
Positions of subnational authority
People of Spanish colonial Philippines
Filipino nobility
Captaincy General of the Philippines
Spanish words and phrases