Jose Maria Basa

Jose Maria Basa (b. December 19, 1839 - d. July 10, 1907), a native of Binondo, Manila was a Filipino patriot and propagandist.

Contents

[hide]

• 1 Early

Life

• 2 Revoluti

onary

• 3 Referenc

• 4 Citation

[edit] Early Life

He studied at University of Santo Tomas, where he received a bachelors degree in philosophy in 1860. He inherited a distillery in Trozo,

prospered and became well-known in Binondo.

[edit] Revolutionary

Basa was a member of a reformist group. He was accused of participating in the 1872 revolt which led to the execution of Gomburza. After

two years, he , together with other accused people, were given a pardon under the condition that they will not return to the Philippines. He

settled in Hong Kong with his family where he became a successful merchant. Basas's home became the temporary house of some of the

exiled Filipinos like Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. Del Pilar and Graciano Lopez Jaena.

He was also an active promoter of the propaganda movement as he donated money to the cause and for the smuggling of the copies of La

Solidaridad and other Rizal's novels into the Philippines. In 1898, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo established a junta in Hong Kong, he served in the

general's committee and was appointed as the Director of Justice.

When Spanish-American war broke up, he and other wealthy Filipino in exile offered money for the American government to either grant

protection or to annex the Philippines. He died in Hong Kong, and after four years, his remains were brought to Manila.

Rizal in 1888 had an affair with a Japanese woman, Seiko Usui, when he visited Japan. She had an only daughter, Yuriko, by a foreign husband some
years after her encounter with Rizal. Yuriko later married the son of a Japanese politician.

Juan Francisco Lecaros was a mestizo who was born in Binondo, Manila on 24 June 1810. His father, Manuel Francisco Lecaros, was of

Mexican descent and was the captain of one of the galleons that took part in the Manila-Acapulco trade. There is nothing known about his

mother, but his maternal grandfather was Pedro Galarraga, who was admiral of an Acapulco vessel and the owner of an estate inMakati City.

His family’s mansion was located in Escolta, Manila near the Puente de España now known as Jones Bridge.
Lecaros studied law in the University of Santo Tomas. He passed the bar on 21 June 1823 and founded a law firm which made him famous

in the field. Joaquin Pardo de Tavera was once his law partner before the latter set up his own firm.

[edit] Career

Lecaros was appointed as one of the Philippine representatives in the Spanish Cortes along with Andres Garcia Camba when the legislature

was reestablished in 1834. He was already living in Madrid, Spain at that time as an agent of the ayuntamiento (town council) of Manila. .

They took their oath of office on 24 November 1835. However, they were not able to accomplish anything during the session as the Cortes

was eventually dissolved on 27 January 1836.

Nevertheless, Lecaros and Camba were active in their roles as representatives of the Philippines in the Spanish Cortes. The two presented

petitions to the Secretario del Despacho de Hacienda(Secretary of the Property Office), asking for the moderation of the excessive duties on

the introduction of brandy into the Philippines and for the sending of few pensioners to the islands for the benefit of the native Philippine

Spaniards. Lecaros also presented a petition to the leader of the Spanish cabinet asking for the suppression of the tobacco monopoly, but

his request was not granted.

The Cortes was again reestablished and Lecaros and Cambia were reinstated through an election held on 31 July 1836. However, a new

decree dated 24 May 1936 granted four representative slots for the Philippines. Lecaros and Cambia were not chosen in the election that

took place from the 12th to the 14th of March 1837.

Lecaros then returned to the Philippines to resume his practice in law. One of the prominent cases he handled was the defense of his former

colleague, Governor-General Camba in the latter's juicio de residencia.

During the term of Governor General Francisco de Paula from 1843 to 1844, Lecaros was appointed as the assessor of the Court of

Commerce. He was also named one of the consultants of the El Banco Espanol de Filipino when it began operation in 1852.

Lecaros was an honorary oidor (hearer) of the court of Manila and honorary manager of the magistracy of Seville. He was also an examiner

in the Real Sociedad Economica de Amigos del Pais .

[edit] Family and Personal Life

Lecaros retired to the family estate in Makati after he left public service. In 1861, he went to Madrid, where he died. He left a daughter named

Maria, who married another deputy to the Cortes, Exequiel Ordonez.

19 February 1888
With Jose Maria Basa, Jose Sainz de Veranda and some Portuguese, Rizal
left Hongkong for Macaoon board the Kui Kiang. In Macao, they lived in the
house of Juan Lecaroz. Rizal went around forobservation, especially the
botanical garden.