EMILIANO
RIEGO DE DIOS (1864-1926)
THE ELDEST and most colorful of the three Riego de Dios Brothers of Maragondon, Cavite, Emiliano de Dios was the soldier diplomat of the Philippine Revolution. He was appointed politico-military governor of Cavite Province with the rank of Major- general under the second revolutionary government, which General Aguinaldo established, after his return from Hongkong. Frequent clashes between Filipino and American soldiers occurred in Cavite town at this time, and it was due to Riego de Dios diplomatic expertise that these small encounters between the two “allies’ against the Spaniards did not develop into a full-scale war.
Riego de Dios returned from his Bicol assignment in Mid- October. On November 23, Aguinaldo appointed him vice-president of the diplomatic commission sent to Europe and America to work for the recognition of Philippine Independence. Felipe Agoncillo of Batangas headed the commission.
Months later Riego de Dios was appointed head of the Filipino Junta in Hongkong. Isidro de Santos assisted him. It was in his capacity as president of the Junta that Riego de Dios sent a letter to U.S. President William McKinley warning him that “the Americans may succeed in conquering the entire Philippines but that they will never crush the Filipino’s aspiration to be free and independent.”
Born on September 7, 1864 to a middle class couple, Sotero Riego de Dios and Jorga Loyola, Emiliano obtained his early education in his hometown. Then he took his segunda enserenza in Letran College, and later pursued his A.B. course in the Ateneo de Manila. However, he failed to obtain his bachelor’s degree because, fed up with his professors’ method of teaching, he left Ateneo and returned to Maragondon to help his parents runs the family farms.
Riego de Dios was gobernadorcillo and later capitan municipal of Maragondon when the Revolution broke out. He and his two brothers, Vicente and Mariano, were guests of Aguinaldo on the eve of the annual fiesta of Kawit on July 21, 1896, when their host into Katipunan secret society inducted them. At that time there was yet no Magdalo- Magdiwang conflict. When the Magdiwang Council was reorganized Emiliano Riego de Dios was elected ministro de fomento (minister of welfare).
During the Tejeros Convention on March 22, 1897, he was elected secretary of war of the revolutionary government. Although belonging to the Magdiwang Council, the three Riego de Dios brothers voted Emilio Aguinaldo as president of the revolutionary government because they believed he was the right man to lead the revolution against Spain.
It was Emiliano Riego de Dios who advised Aguinaldo to commute the death sentence imposed by the Council of War on the Bonifacio brothers. His younger brother Mariano, who was a member of the Council, did not sign the court verdict because he believed it to be too harsh, contending that the Bonifacio brothers should just be banished for duration of the revolution.
After the
Philippine- American War Emiliano Riego de Dios became the secretary general of
the Asociation de los Veteranos the la Revolucion headed by General Aguinaldo.
He was married to Gregoria Riel by whom he had three children; namely,
Gregorio, Juan, and Magpuri. Emiliano died peacefully on his farm in Maragondon
on February 4, 1926, at the age of 62. He was given full military honors when
he was buried in the Libingan ng mga
Bayani at the Cementerio del Norte, Manila.