Jose Mateo Roberto de Valle y Montilla

# **Mateo Roberto de Valle**

*"I fucking hate the navy."*

**Mateo Roberto de Valle** is a Magdiweño statesman, former military officer and prominent politician who served as Prime Minister of the State of Magdiwang from 1890 to 1902. A member of the Nacionalista Party, he previously served as the Directorate of State Affairs and Minister-President of the Kamara prior to his election.

## Biography

### Early Life

**Jose Mateo Roberto de Valle y Montilla** was born on September 3, 1840 in New York City to Emilio Roberto de Valle, his father, and Eleanor Montilla, his mother. He and his family eventually immigrated to the Spanish East Indies because of his father's frequent business trips in the Philippine Islands. His father was eventually elected as Governor of the Camarines region which would give de Valle a head-start in his studies.

### Military Career

He eventually entered the local Nueva Caceres Military Academy where he would achieve top 6 in his class before being commissioned as a Teniente, later moved to Capitan, in the Regimiento de voluntarias Bicol. He was later moved to the regular national army in Mindanao to disperse Moro insurgents, where he was later decorated for his impressive actions at a noticeably young age.

### Revolutionary Era

After the Tayabas Revolt, he would later question his allegiance to the Captaincy General and generate sympathetic feelings to the Filipino cause, but he tried to ignore it to continue his career in the army. However that was only short-lived when the Cavite Massacre ensued, which angered numerous Filipinos in both the civilian population and in the military. Still, Mateo refused to interfere with the situation and requested to change his post as commander of a Guardia Civil detachment in Nueva Caceres. His skills in organizing as well as his charisma would construct loyalty from his men, all of whom were both Spanish and Filipinos.

The last straw was finally drawn when a Spanish infantry battalion entered Nueva Caceres, his home city, to take over and replace garrison duties from the Guardia Civil detachment that de Valle had commanded. This wasn't a problem until a peaceful mob was suppressed by the Spanish, which infuriated de Valle and announced his defection before apprehending the Spanish battalion. Mariano Alvarez, who was assigned as Chief Overseer of the revolutionary forces in Luzon, contacted de Valle asking him to join him in the cause to which he agreed.

De Valle would be appointed as Commandant of all forces within the Bicol Region, using his familiarity in the terrain as well as connections to locals in the region, he managed to repel the Spanish occupiers in the region and was given the nickname "Tito Darto" for his well-established connections to the Bicolanos and the fact De Valle considered them as if they were is own nephews and nieces.

### Aftermath, Civil War and Marriage

With the end of the revolution and the signing of the Tejeros Treaty, De Valle retired and bought a hacienda in Nueva Caceres. There, he would establish the Nueva Caceres Farming & Agricultural Co., owning three different plots of farmland all over the countryside of the Ciudad de Nueva Caceres. However he was later recalled and personally appointed by Mariano Alvarez as a military attaché and sent to San Francisco before arriving in Washington, D.C. to persuade the United States to supply the newly-established state of Magdiwang.

In 1870, De Valle met his future wife Elizabeth Adelaide Palmer on a diplomatic mission to Washington, D.C. The couple met at a library at Baltimore where De Valle was spending him free time. Though the two were initially in an awkward relation, De Valle managed to stay in contact with her and courted her during his time in the states. A year later, after successful talks De Valle would finally return to the Philippines before proposing to Elizabeth, to which she agreed and came home with her.

This was also the time when famed American officer Arthur Dalton and De Valle met for the first time, eventually developing a friendship of what he himself called "essentially reunited long-lost cousins" in a metaphor. He travelled with Dalton along with De Valle's now-engaged fiancé back to San Francisco before leaving for the Philippines.

De Valle, now reassigned as Commandant of Bicolano Forces under the Magdiweño Revolutionary Army, was given the task to hold the region before American supplies and Magdiweño reinforcements arrive. He fought ferociously, his careful use of his detachment, understanding of the terrain and previous experience as a commander gave him time for a counteroffensive towards Tarlac and eventually reaching the siege of the Intramuros. After the civil war, he resigned his post and entered a public life. He and his wife would eventually marry and give birth to one son and one daughter before residing in his hacienda with his family.

### Entering the Political Spotlight

Though withdrawn from military life, he still remained as a relevant figure in Bicolano politics. He would remain as a local figurehead of the Bicolano people and would regularly visit Legazpi, Nueva Caceres and Daet. He was later visited himself by Mariano Alvarez, who later appointed De Valle as Directorate of State Affairs due to his experience in the Washington Talks during the civil war. He was later sent to numerous missions to the United States and gained fascination among American principles in both society and politics, which has heavily influenced his outlook on the political atmosphere.

After returning from a trip to the United States, he encouraged Mariano to establish a congress to construct the foundations of a democracy in the nation. After some long discussions he eventually agreed and instated the Pambansang Asemblea before being appointed as Minister-President of the Kamara for 6 years from 1885 to 1889. That is where he also established the Partido Nacionalista, a band of conservatives, liberals, progressives and centrist wings in the Kamara.

### First General Elections

During the last years of his term as Minister-President, Mariano Alvarez would establish the office of the Prime Ministry with the intention of securing a head of government to oversee the operations of the state government. De Valle hesitantly ran for office, where he would fight in a campaign against the social democrat Julian 'Tukog' Nakpil and socialist 'El Macaroy'. Though a major competitor, De Valle became quick friends with Nakpil during the second round of a prime ministry debate, stating that "If I wasn't running for office, I would've voted for him". Despite fierce competition, de Valle decisively won the elections by a large amount, gaining 67.99% of the popular vote.

## Prime Ministry

### National Reforms

As Prime Minister, he would contribute to the start of the Prosperous Age of the nation, overseeing the expansion of Manila (also known as the "Sister Capital" to Novelete) as the Pearl of the Orient and center of trade in South East Asia, the growing economy caused by investments from local and foreign businesses, the expansion of the Army and reorganization of the government. De Valle also included agrarian reforms, in which he assigned Julian Nakpil to oversee the Office of Agrarian & Land Opportunities. As an avid student of many private schools himself, he advocated for educational reform which he considered *"the biggest benefactor a youthful person should get"*, funding and establishing schools, colleges, universities and libraries around the nation. He was also responsible for the reorganization of the government into a more westernized and modern one as he called it, styling the system much like that of the United States' federal government.

### The "Treatment"

A rather effective way of persuading senators into voting for his bills was through the "Treatment". As mentioned by a journalist; *"The treatment could last from ten minutes to four hours. The Prime Minister would approach any* *senator within his reach and persuade them to vote for his proposals through... rather unorthodox ways. He would speak in a tone where you couldn't tell if he's joking or serious and that confusion alone leaves a hint of fear and threat. De Valle uses his 5'12 height to his advantage, leaning over his target with his face a bare millimeter away, his eyes widening, eyebrows rising and falling, speaking in a deep voice and the ambient background sounds contributing in his way of persuasion. The experience itself would render the target stunned and helpless in that situation".*