MARIANO RIEGO DE DIOS
(1875-1935)
ALTHOUGH he was the youngest of the famous Riego de Dios brothers, General Mariano Riego de Dios may be considered as having the most permanent and lasting contribution to Philippine history. Not purely by design but out of anger spurred by his spirit of patriotism, Mariano led the establishment of the Philippine independent church, the Iglesia Filipina Catolica, in Maragondon, Cavite. This “church” antedated the Philippine Independent Church organized by Isabelo de los Reyes and Fr. Gregorio Aglipay.
Mariano led a group of leading residents of Maragondon who went to Manila protests against the anti-Filipino activities of the local Spanish curate, Fr. Villafranca. They asked Manila Archbishop Nozalea for Villa Franca’s relief and the appointment of a new priest for their parish. Dismissing the protest, the Archbishop is said to have remarked that what the Maragondon parishioners “deserved was a priest with horns and tail.” Whereupon General Mariano Riego de Dios flared up, overturned to marble table at the Archbishop’s Palace, and then left in a huff. The Archbishop, in a fit of anger, shouted at Riego de Dios at the top of his voice, ”I am excommunicating you!” The Filipino general countered with a loud voice, ”Lalo kang exkomulgado, puñeta ka!” (You are more excommunicated, damn you!”)
Upon their return to Maragondon, Riego de Dios and his companions decided to set up a barong-barong or makeshift house to serve as the first Filipino independent church. Later this structure was replaced by a bigger and more permanent building, which was considered appropriate to serve as a “House of God”.
Born on September 12, 1875, Mariano learned the alphabet in a private school in Maragondon headed by Nicasio Soberano. Then he transferred to a girls’ school under Sister Potenciana Villafranca. After one year his parents again transferred him to the public school of the town headed by Ramon Rillo.
Mariano could not stay long in one school. At the Ateneo Municipal in Manila where his parents took him, he complained of the strict school discipline, so he transferred again to private school run by Enrique Mendiola. After one year he left that school and enrolled at Letran College.
His ambition was to pursue a military career. But in 1892, when he was about to leave for Spain to take up a military course, his father Sotero, was suddenly taken ill and past away on August 4. This incident forced him to cancel his departure for abroad so as to attend to their family farm in Maragondon. When the revolution broke out in 1896 Mariano was among the first to answer the call to arms. He saw action in many parts of Cavite and in Southern and Central Luzon. He attends the rank of brigadier-general.
Mariano was married to Maura Ruffy of Nasugbu, Batangas. They had to children who died in their infancy. The couple lived in barrio Patungan of Maragondon until his death due to heart attack on February 16, 1935. In recognition of his great contribution to his country barangay Patungan was renamed barangay Mariano Riego de Dios.
[Source: (1) Biodata furnished by Judge Juan R. Narvaez of Maragondon; and (2) Andres B. Samaniego, “Heneral Mariano Riego de Dios,” In souvenir magazine commemorating the 250th anniversary of the municipal government of Maragondon, December 1977.]