Cebu’s first governor

History has not always been kind to those who took the initiative to change society. For instance, very few remember the man who became the first chief executive of Cebu Province. This week, on May 22, 1863, Julio A. Llorente was born in Cebu City. He bravely fought against the Spaniards but also helped negotiate a peaceful transition from Spanish to American rule and was appointed as Cebu’s first governor. And yet, despite his contributions, he served very briefly as Cebu’s governor and was defeated in the first general election of the province.

He was one of the four children of Don Ceferino Llorente y Camara, a wealthy Spaniard who owned inter-island vessels and a sugar plantation in Medellin, Cebu, and Doña Martina Aballe of Argao. Martina’s father, Don Tiburcio Victoriano Aballe, was the town’s juez de sementera from 1838 until 1844. Three cousins of Martina served as cabezas de barangay while two other Aballes were elected as councilor of Argao. Julio’s father, Don Ceferino Llorente y Camara, from the town of Covaleda, Spain. The other children of Ceferino and Martina Llorente were Martin Llorente, who was the municipal president (mayor) of Cebu from 1908 to 1909; Francisco Llorente; and Jacinta Llorente.

Like most Spanish mestizos with wealthy parents, Julio’s early education was through private tutors and in private schools until he went to Manila to study at the Ateneo. He soon left for Spain and graduated from the University of Madrid as a Doctor of Laws in 1885. He was active in the propaganda movement and worked as an editorial staff of the newspaper, España en Filipinas, and regularly contributed articles to La Solidaridad. In the disputes that shook the Filipino colony, Llorente supported Rizal, and it was through him that Rizal asked the University of Madrid to grant him a diploma as a Licentiate in Medicine.

Towards the end of Spanish rule, Julio returned to Cebu and immediately occupied several positions in the Department of Justice; he became a substitute magistrate in the Audiencia of Cebu and then served as a teniente alcalde segundo from 1892 to 1893. He was arrested at the outbreak of the revolution against Spain and imprisoned for suspected links with the revolution together with other rich Cebuanos like Don Pedro Cui and Don Isidro Guivelondo. He was tried by a military tribunal created by the Spaniards and sentenced to death and remained in prison for 10 months.

Llorente was elected provincial president of Cebu by a popular junta composed of representatives from 40 out of 58 towns in Cebu on April 16, 1899. Llorente’s term as governor was spent establishing his legitimacy since other revolutionary leaders like Arcadio Maxilom had also established their own factions. He was appointed provincial president in April 1899 but his term was short-lived due to the outbreak of hostilities between the Americans and the local resistance. By April 1901, he was again appointed by the Americans as governor. He worked for the end to the hostilities and established a peace commission that helped in talks with the guerilla leaders. Insurgent leaders surrendered by December 1901 which formally put an end to the war.

From February 3 to 5, 1902, the first election for governor was held and Juan Climaco ran against Llorente. Even though Llorente was the incumbent, Climaco won and Llorente’s governorship ended. After his defeat, he was appointed as governor of Samar in 1902. In 1903, he was appointed as a judge of first instance of the 12th district which included Leyte and Samar. Within a few months, he was transferred to the 4th district which included Pampanga, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija. He held this position for the next 10 years. It was in Manila where he died a “poor and largely forgotten man” on September 13, 1953, with some saying he died feeling that he was not given due recognition by his fellow Cebuanos.