Father Alonso Sanches Suppresses the Audiencia

The president and auditors arrived at the Filipinas on May 1584, while Diego Ronquillo was governing.

Doctor Sanctiago de Vera entered his office and immediately established the Audiencia. The royal seal was received and deposited with all possible solemnity and festivity.

At this time, new reinforcements were sent to Maluco.

• Captain Pedro Sarmiento [33] from Manila
• Captain and sargento-mayor, Juan de Moron. [34]

But neither of these expeditions succeeded.

President Sanctiago de Vera also continued the pacification of several provinces.

• He discovered an insurrection which the native chiefs of Manila and Pampanga were planning and prevented it.
• He built with stone the fortress of Nuestra Señora de Guia [Our Lady of Guidance], within Manila.

For its defense, he caused some artillery to be founded Pandapira, an old native of the province of Panpanga.

• The latter and his sons rendered this service for many years afterward, until their deaths.

Thomas Escander

During the administration of President Sanctiago de Vera, the Englishman Thomas Escander, [36] entered the South Pacific through the Strait of Magallanes.

On the coast of Nueva España, close to California, he had captured the “Santa Ana” which came from the Filipinas laden with gold and merchandise of great value.

From there, he went to the Filipinas, entering through the Visayas.

He saw:

• the town of Arevalo
• the shipyard where a galleon was being built

He wanted to burn it, but he was resisted by Manuel Lorenzo de Lemos, who was supervising its construction.

The Englishman passed on to India and back to England usingthe same route which Francis Drake [37] had taken several years before.

Drake had, in like manner, passed through the Strait of Magallanes to the Peruvian coast, where he made many prizes.

Father Alonso Sanches was:

• a learned Jesuit
• well informed with the country
• very active in business

The Audiencia and the bishop sent Father Alonso Sanches to his Majesty to:

• give a detailed account of the state of affairs in the Filipinas Islands
• request that necessary measures be taken
• tell the court that the Audiencia could be dispensed with, for it was a heavy burden to all estates, because of the newness of the country.

Father Alonso Sanches was given authority to act for all estates, religious orders, and communities on what to ask for from España and Rome. [38]

He received from Rome favors and indulgences with many relics, bulls, and letters for the Filipinas.

He returned to España, where again he solicited a decision on the business which he had left under discussion when he went to Roma.

His Majesty listened to his messages:

• from the pontiffs
• about the affairs of the islands

The father negotiated for:

• the suppression of the Audiencia of Manila
• the appointment of a new governor as Gomez Perez Dasmariñas.

His Majesty:

• appointed Dasmariñas as governor and captain-general of the Filipinas
• increased the annual salary of his office to 10,000 Castilian ducados.
• made him a knight of the Order of Sanctiago
• gave him a large sum of money to meet the expenses of the voyage.

He was provided with the necessary despatches for:

• the exercise of his office
• the suppression of the Audiencia of Manila
• the establishment of a camp of 400 paid soldiers with their officers, at his Majesty’s expense, for the garrison and defense of the land.

His Majesty ordered Gomez Perez Dasmariñas to sail immediately for Nueva España in the ships on which Viceroy Don Luis de Velasco sailed in 1589, who was going to govern that country.

He left Mexico as soon as possible with what ships, soldiers, and captains he needed, sailed for the Filipinas. He arrived in May 1590.