Andrés Novales
| Andrés Novales | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1800 Manila, Captaincy General of the Philippines |
| Died | June 2, 1823 (aged 22–23) Manila, Captaincy General of the Philippines |
| Allegiance | Spain |
| Years of service | 1814–1823 |
| Rank | Captain |
Andrés Novales (Manila, 1800–1823) was a Creole captain in the Spanish Army in the Philippines.
His discontentment with the treatment of creole soldiers led him to start a revolt in 1823 that inspired even the ranks of José Rizal. He successfully captured Intramuros and was proclaimed Emperor of the Philippines by his followers. However, he was defeated within the day by Spanish reinforcements from Pampanga.
Novales' father was a captain of the Spanish Army, while his mother was born to a prominent family in the Philippines. He became a cadet at the age of nine and a lieutenant at fourteen. When he heard of an existing war between Spain and France, he sought his senior officer's consent to send him to Madrid. Despite being demoted to a volunteer soldier with no rank after arriving in Spain, he returned to the Philippines with the rank of captain. His zeal for service had not waned, earning him the envy and ire of other military officers – something which Governor-General Juan Antonio Martínez later usde against Novales.
Novales' discontent with the way Spanish authorities treated creoles later grew, reaching its climax when peninsulars were shipped to the Philippines to replace creole officers. He found sympathy of many Creoles, including Luis Rodríguez Varela, the Conde Filipino. As punishment for this dissent, many military officers and public officials were exiled, including Novales, who was exiled to Mindanao to fight pirates. Undeterred, he secretly returned to Manila.
On the night of June 1, 1823, Novales along with a certain sub-lieutenant Ruiz and other subordinates in the King's Regiment, went out to start a revolt. Along with 800 Filipinos in which his sergeants recruited, they seized the Governor-General's Palace, the Manila Cathedral, the city's cabildo (city hall) and other important government buildings in Intramuros.
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