CHAPTER 19
WlnLE, in t.he years before the Britis h Invasion. the Filipinos gave constant proofs by their revolts of their desire to rul e themselves, they furnished equally eloquent evidence of their ability to do so. particularly in the person oC Mig-uel Lino de E~pe leta. Born In Manila. he studied Cor the pries thood in the Real Colee-Io de San Jose and rose gTadually in the erclesiastical career unUl at the a"e or 59 he was consecrated bis hop or Cebu. While at his see In the south both tbe archiepiscopal see ill Manila and thc ,ovel"nor~l'eneralship became vacant and Ezpelcta ca me to the capital to act In Ibe two bighest capacities III tbe Philippines or that time. The Moro-Mohammedan wars were then at a high pitch and Ezpcleta's enerreUc measures against them prove his excellent leader.hlp. Tbe new archbishop or Manila. the Spaniard J\fanuel Rojo. having arrived. however, he sought to be also a.ctlng govemor"eneral. The Filipino prelate reCused to surrender his civil authority. When the Junta de Autoridades met to decide the dispute. Ezpeleta calJNI up hl'\ troops and surrounded the palace where th e sessions were beln~ held. Tben. when the Junia asked him Cor his authorlt~· to conUnue as governor. Ezpeleta pointe(l s imply to his troops.
He was the first Filipino governor-general under Spain and the list: not until 1\ similar conjunction of circumstances occurred under the United Stales was there an acting Filipino governor general Ilnd only ror a Cew days. He was also the Cirst Filipino archbisbop or Manila and. to thls day. the only one. Even in the independent Republic or the Philippines. tbe archbishop oC ManUa continues to be a forei,ne-r.
nmo. Sr. D. Mienel Lino de Espeleta
Obispo de Cebu y Gobernador de Filipina$ (1 757-'7 61 )
228 The FilIpln... were engulfed once more in a war not or their own making when Spain was drawn by dynastic loyalties Into the Seven Years' War between Enl'land and France. Communications bet.ween the metro poll» and Us colony were so bad thnt wben a Crilish fleet appeared orr M.nlla on September 23. 1162 and landed a force unlier artillery cover. It look the Sp".,lards completely by surprise.
229 Ezpeleta's successor as archbishop,
Rojo. was by now acting gov· ernor also. He lacked the Filipino prelale's qualities or leadership hut. he found the courage to refuse the summons to surrender sent by General William Dr"per "Dd Admiral Samuel Cornish. Instead he launched 200 Spaniards anel 800 Filipino lancers in a determined sortie agulnst the tightening-British si ege. The aitack \~' as repulsed.
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