Joaquín González (politician)
Joaquín González (July 22, 1853 - September 21, 1900) was a Filipino politician and a member of the Malolos Congress that wrote the Malolos Constitution, the first Philippine constitution, after the country declared independence from Spain in 1898. He was one of two elected delegates representing the province of Pampanga, the other being Jose Rodriguez Infante. Along with Felipe Calderon y Roca, the main author of the constitution, Dr. González was part of a committee that took part in the debates that went article by article from October 25 to November 29, 1898. Early life and training. Dr.  González was a Spanish mestizo born out of the union of Fray Fausto López Palomino OSA (from Valladolid, Spain) and María Amparo "Mariquita" González y de los Ángeles (from Baliuag, Bulacan). He was trained as a Doctor of Medicine in Spain at the "Universidad de Valladolid" and the "Universidad Central de Madrid" (now the Complutense University of Madrid). He later attended the Ophthalmology Institute of Dr Louis de Wecker in Paris, France, to specialize in eye diseases. His compatriot Dr José Rizal studied in the same institute years later and Dr de Wecker told him that another Filipino, Dr Joaquin  Gonzalez, had preceded him there. Career. Unexpectedly enough, the Spanish mestizo "ilustrado" Dr Gonzalez was active in supporting the Katipunan during the Revolution from 1896-99 (he who was an offspring of a dangerous liaison not unlike Padre Damaso's and Da Pia Alba de de los Santos' in Rizal's inflammatory novel "Noli Me Tangere"). He believed in the cause and was a friend of its more educated members as well as several of its generals. Dr Gonzalez was familiar with General Emilio Aguinaldo, D Felipe Buencamino (Sr) (widower of Da Juana Arnedo [+1883], niece of Da Florencia Sioco 's, Dr Gonzalez's wife), and the other leading lights of the movement. He possessed copies of Jose Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo" as well as writings of the Madrid propagandists, whom he knew socially. His palatial house in barrio Sulipan, Apalit, Pampanga became the venue for clandestine meetings of the organization. The Katipunan attack of Macabebe, Pampanga and other offensives in the province were planned in his house; he and his family viewed the attack from his house using strong binoculars. His mother-in-law Da Matea Rodriguez was the biggest contributor to the Katipunan in  Pampanga. The fearless Dr Gonzalez accompanied Katipunero troops in their attacks around Pampanga and Bulacan, tending to their wounds. Once during a skirmish, he was mistaken for the enemy because of his Spanish mestizo features, but after introducing himself and speaking perfect Bulaqueno Tagalog, the Katipunero general cleared him and said: "Not only is he one of us, he is my townmate!" On October 19, 1898, Dr. González was designated as the first Rector/President of the "Universidad Cientifico-Literaria de Filipinas", the forerunner of the University of the Philippines by Philippine President Emilio Aguinaldo. The university had faculties of  civil and criminal laws, as well as medicine and surgery. He taught legal medicine, toxicology and public hygiene. In April 1899, Dr. González became one of seven members of the Permanent Commission of the National Assembly under the Malolos Constitution that had oversight powers over the President of the Republic, Representatives, Cabinet Secretaries, the Chief Justice and the Solicitor General during adjournment of the Assembly. Family. The Spanish mestizo Gonzalez clans (Gonzalez Doble Zeta) of San Rafael and Baliuag towns, Bulacan, and Bayambang and Bautista towns, Pangasinan trace their ur-ancestor to a Spanish soldier, Sr D _____ Gonzalez, who was  given a land grant in the area between San Rafael and Baliuag towns in Bulacan in the early 1700s. D Vicente Gonzalez and Da Venancia de Los Angeles of Baliuag, Bulacan had many children, among them, Maria Amparo ("Mariquita") and three sons all named Francisco --- Francisco Gonzalez Reinado ("Francisco Balbas"), Francisco Gonzalez ("Francisco Kalbo"), and Francisco Gonzalez ("Francisco Pugot"). The three brothers named Francisco Gonzalez purchased big portions of the huge British, Smith Bell & Co "Hacienda Esperanza" (55,000 hectares spread out over Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Bulacan) and migrated to Bayambang, Pangasinan where they raised their families. Fray Fausto  Lopez y Palominas OSA of Valladolid, Spain and Da Maria Amparo Gonzalez y de Los Angeles ("Mariquita") of Baliuag, Bulacan had six children: Soledad (married Mariano Gonzales), Jose (married Francisca Carrillo y Arriola, daughter of Fray Arriola OSA, another Augustinian), Dr Joaquin (married Florencia Sioco y Rodriguez), Rita (married Jose Llora; they returned to Spain), Carmen (spinster), and Francisco (married Maria Lloret, 14 year-old daughter of a Spanish ship captain). Dr Joaquin Gonzalez y Lopez married Florencia Sioco y Rodríguez (1860-1925), youngest of the three daughters of D Josef Sioco of barrio Sulipan, Apalit and his second wife  Da Matea Rodriguez y Tuason of barrio Santa Ines, Bacolor, Pampanga (Da Francisca Sioco, Da Sabina Sioco de Escaler [1858-1950], Da Florencia Sioco de Gonzalez). Dr Joaquin and Da Florencia had ten sons: Fernando Leonardo (married Clementina Elizalde y Cacnio of San Luis, Pampanga), Dr Jesus Lope (married Ysidora Espiritu y Dungo of barrio San Vicente, Apalit, Pampanga; married Mercedes Veloso of Palo, Leyte), Emilio Cosme (married Rosario Valdes y Liongson of Bacolor, Pampanga), Atty Augusto Diosdado, father of former Secretary of Education Andrew Gonzalez (married Marina Escaler y Sioco; married Rosario Lucia Arnedo y Espiritu; both of barrio  Sulipan, Apalit, Pampanga), Octavio Florencio (died at 10 years old), Dr Virgilio Rufino (married Rosario Singson y Chiong-Veloso of Cebu), Atty Francisco Javier Eligio (married Josefa Mercado y Espiritu of barrio Sulipan, Apalit, Pampanga), Bienvenido Maria, 6th President of the University of the Philippines (married Concepcion Rafols y Miravalles from the Visayas), Joaquin Jorge (married Julia Salgado y Mendoza of San Fernando, Pampanga; married Luz Manankil y Elizalde of San Luis, Pampanga), and Fausto Felix, Congressman of Pampanga (married Amparo de la Rama of Bacolod, Negros Occidental; married Pastora Cordero y Gomez of Angeles, Pampanga). According to the memoirs  of Dr Bienvenido Ma Gonzalez, his maternal grandfather D Josef Sioco (1786-1864) was the richest man in Pampanga province during his lifetime, owning many farmlands in Pampanga and Bulacan and a roomful of gold coins in his barrio Sulipan, Apalit residence. According to the memoirs of Zoilo Hilario, treasurer of the Katipunan in Pampanga, Da Matea Rodriguez y Tuason viuda de Josef Sioco, viuda de Juan Arnedo-Cruz (1835-1918) was the single biggest contributor to the Katipunan in Pampanga, contributing thousands of gold coins to the cause, more than any of the big hacenderos of Bacolor, San Fernando , Mexico, and Guagua towns. Death. Dr. González died of acute appendicitis in Malate, Manila on September 21, 1900. A grand national manifestation of bereavement was declared, and the funeral cortege was attended by the entire Civil Commission headed by its first president and American Governor General, William Howard Taft; American military authorities; illustrious Filipinos and a multitude of people. The main road of Apalit town, Pampanga was named "Dr Joaquin L Gonzalez avenue" in memory of one of Apalit's most illustrious residents. References. Manuel, E Arsenio, Dictionary of Philippine Biography.