Diego Fajardo Chacon

Diego Fajardo Chacón was a Spanish military officer and governor of the Philippines, from August 11, 1644 to July 25, 1653.

A knight of the Order of Santiago, Diego Fajardo was an illustrious scion of the house of the Marqués de los Vélez and a nephew of a previous Philippine Governor, Alonso Fajardo de Entenza, who had held the position from 1618 to 1624.

Fajardo Chacón had been reared in the family of Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy, whose captain of the guard he had been. His valor in war led to promotions, both military and political. He became governor of Perpiñán (Perpignan) and of the Islas Terceras (Azores).

His character was assessed by his near-contemporary, the historian Fray Casimiro Díaz:

He was a gentleman of great abilities, which, had they not be accompanied by an excessive severity, uncommunicativeness, and too great rigor in his punishments, would have rendered him equal to the greatest governors, not only of these islands but of the whole world. For he was very intelligent in military affairs, but chaste, truthful, and modest, and so free from anything that can touch covetousness that in that respect he rather resembled a most observant religious than a military gentleman; for he was never known and he never presumed to receive anything — not only no jewel of value, but not even a present of any food.

Fajardo arrived as the new governor of the Philippines on the 1644 ship from New Spain (Mexico). He took office on 11 August 1644 (some sources say 16 August), and remained in the government for nine years. He was soon dominated by his secretary, Eustacio de Venegas, an old-time resident of Manila. For a time, Fajardo left the public affairs in the hands of Venegas, and himself retired to seclusion.

As soon as he assumed the government, in accordance with a royal decree, he moved the parián (settlement) of the Sangleys (Chinese-Filipino mestizos). He ordered that the governors' income from Sangley gambling be placed in the treasury. At the end of October, reinforcements were sent to Terrenate and other provinces.

He also imprisoned his predecessor, Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera, based on a judicial inquiry (juicio de residencia) after Hurtado's term had ended. Hurtado spent five years in prison in the redoubt of Santiago, before an order was sent by the king to return him to Spain.

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