Ananias Diokno

Ananias Diokno
Birth name	Ananías Diokno y Noblejas
Born	(1860-01-22)January 22, 1860 Taal, Batangas, Captaincy General of the Philippines
Died	Arayat, Pampanga, Philippine Islands
Allegiance	First Philippine Republic
Service/branch	Philippine Revolutionary Army
Years of service	1895-1901
Rank	general
Battles/wars	Philippine Revolution Philippine-American War

Ananías Diokno y Noblejas (January 22, 1860 – November 2, 1922) was reputedly the only Tagalog general to lead a full-scale military expedition to the Visayas against the Spanish forces. Also known as General of the Seas, his successful landing in Bicol and the Visayas were considered as one of the first missions of the Philippine Navy.

Early life

He was born in Taal, Batangas, Philippines on January 22, 1860 to Ángel Diokno and María Andrea Noblejas y Sauza. There are no records regarding his boyhood and early career.

Philippine Revolution

In 1895, Diokno, along with Felipe Agoncillo, were prosecuted by civil and ecclesiastical authorities for obstruction of functions of the government. On August 29, 1896, Don Fernando Parga y Torriero, military governor of Cavite, had Diokno and other revolutionaries arrested and brought to immediate trial. Prominent citizens who fled to Indang, Cavite established the Regional Government of Batangas with Miguel Malvar as commanding general and Diokno as secretary of war.

At the resume of revolution after the Treaty of Biak-na-Bato, he was commissioned by Central Revolutionary Government of Emilio Aguinaldo to lead an expedition to the Visayas to attack the Spanish stronghold there and to forge cooperative stance between the Visayan rebel forces. The Battalion Malaya was organized, a force made up of 750 men divided into six companies and a battery consisting of two cannons. He was made commanding general of the battalion. He and his forces first went to Mindoro, then to Marinduque, and to the Bicol region to organize local revolutionary governments in the area and facilitated elections. Juan Miranda was elected president and Second Lieutenant Jose Karingal was left to organize collection of taxes. He and his forces were aboard three of the five initial vessels under the control of Aguinaldo's government, Taaleño, Bulusan and Purisima Concepcion, which were actually captured or donated Spanish ships converted into gunboats with 8 or 9 cm guns.

Philippine-American War

In August 1899, the Spanish colonial government in Capiz under Governor Juan Herrero surrendered to Diokno. Aguinaldo, upon recommendation of Apolinario Mabini, appointed Diokno civil and military governor of Cápiz. Later, he received the immediate surrender of Spanish forces in Panay. Strong Spanish presence in Samar, however, caused Diokno to retreat.

Many rebels saw Diokno, governor of Capiz under the Aguinaldo government, as a foreigner in Visayan government which already had Roque Lopez as president of the Republic of Visayas. This, with American forces occupying every Visayan island it passes through, caused Diokno to retreat to the mountains of Capiz and conduct guerrilla warfare. On March 18, 1901, Captain Peter Murray of the 18th US Infantry and First Lieutenant Frank Bolles of the 6th US Infantry, with corresponding detachments, located and ambushed Diokno's forces at Barrio Dalipdan, Capiz. Diokno was wounded and captured, two of his men were killed in action. He was imprisoned thereafter.

Later life

In 1916, he was offered to be Director of Agriculture under the administration of Francis Burton Harrison but he refused. He died at his farm in Pampanga on November 2, 1922.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Ananias Diokno

2. Ángel Diokno                                   1. Ananias Diokno                                         6. Juan Noblejas                             3. María Andrea Noblejas y Sauza                                   28. ? Sauza               14. Santiago Sauza y delos Ríos                       29. ? delos Ríos               7. Restituta María del Carmen Sauza y Berenguer de Marquina                             30. Félix Berenguer de Marquina               15. Ysabel Berenguer de Marquina y Sumulong                       31. Demetria Sumulong y Lindo