RAYMUNDO
JECIEL (1875-1951)
THE seventh governor of Cavite under the
American regime, Raymundo Cecil, had been a delegate to the Malolos Congress
and a colonel of the Revolutionary Army under general Emilio Aguinaldo. Having
been the chief adjutant of Aguinaldo in Palanan, Isabela, Cecil brought to the
governorship of Cavite’s most efficient and effective provincial executives.
During the Assembly of Governors held in manila in
the early 1920s, Jeciel startled his colleagues when he assured them that
Santiago Ronquillo, alias Tiagong Akyat, the head of a gang terrorizing Manila
and suburbs at the time, would be captured either dead or alive in “three
days”. In less than 24 hours after Jeciel made his prediction, the plaudits of
the Governors’ Assembly, and the Manila Carnival, which was going on at the
time, was extended for one week.
Jeciel
was born in Indang on March 16, 1875, the son of Canuto Jeciel and Juana Tamio.
He finished his early education under two leading Indang educators, Severino de
las Alas and Marcelo Basa. He then went to Manila where he obtained a Bachelor
of Arts degree from the Colegio de SanJuan de Letran. He was a working student
along with the late President Quezon. Later he took up law at the University of
Sto. Tomas but was not able to finish it because of the outbreak of Revolution.
Together with the Colonel brothers, Jose and Doroteo, Jeciel assisted in the
negotiations for the surrender of the beleaguered Spanish forces in the Indang
Catholic Church.
Jeciel was appointed by General Aguinaldo delegate to
the Malolos Congress, representing Lepanto, Bontoc province. From Malolos he
joined the staff of Aguinaldo retreating to Palanan. Before Aguinaldo’s capture
on March 23, 1901, Jeciel was promoted to colonel and head of the guerillas
operating in Isabela.
After
the Revolution Jeciel devoted his time to farming in Alfonso, Cavite. Later he
was appointed postmaster of Alfonso, after which he became president of the
town’s sanitary division, and still later justice of the peace. In 1922 he was
elected governor of Cavite. He served for only one term. After a long
retirement, Jeciel was appointed by President Manuel A. Roxas as member of the
Board of Pensions of the Veterans of the Philippine Revolution. He died on
December 4, 1951.
(Sources:
Biodata furnished by Benedicto Q. Mojica, vice-mayor of Indang.)