Doctor Francisco de Sande and Don Gonzalo Ronquillo

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.

Then they began to attend to the affairs both of justice and of war and government, to the great profit of the country.

At this time, new reinforcements were sent to Maluco for the conquests that the chief captain of Tidore intended to make of the island of Terrenate.

• 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 had planned against the Spaniards, and justice was done the guilty. [35]

He built with stone the fortress of Nuestra Señora de Guia [Our Lady of Guidance], within the city of Manila. For its defense, he caused some artillery to be founded by an old Indian, called Pandapira, a native of the province of Panpanga.

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

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 ship “Santa Ana” which was coming from the Filipinas laden with gold and merchandise of great value.

From there, he proceeded to the Filipinas, entering through the province of Pintados. He came in sight of the town of Arevalo and of the shipyard where a galleon was being built for the navigation of the Nueva España line.

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 having followed the 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.

At this time, the Audiencia and the bishop thought that someone should be sent to España, to the court of his Majesty, to give a detailed account of the state of affairs in the Filipinas Islands, and to request that some necessary measures might be taken concerning them.

The court was especially to be informed that, for the time being, 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 chosen for this purpose. He was:

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

Instructions were given him, and authority to act for all estates, religious orders, and communities what to ask for from España and from 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 the messages that he brought from the pontiffs, and lent him a favorable ear concerning the affairs of the islands. In private audiences the father made the king understand his requests, and decide them to his own satisfaction.

But as soon as the despatches reached the Filipinas, much of their contents appeared outside the intention and expectation of both bishop and Audiencia, and the city, citizens, and encomenderos.

They appeared even detrimental to the inhabitants of the islands, and therefore they expressed their displeasure toward Father Alonso Sanches, who was still in España.

The father negotiated for:

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

His Majesty appointed him governor and captain-general of the Filipinas, and increased the annual salary of his office to 10,000 Castilian ducados.

Moreover, he made him a knight of the Order of Sanctiago, and gave him a large sum of money with which 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.