Pablo Astilla
Pablo Astilla y Huertasuela was a Filipino nationalist and revolutionary who participated in the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine–American War. He was the Politico-Military Governor of Distrito de La Infanta under Philippine Revolutionary Government and First Philippine Republic.
Public Service
Before joining the revolutionary movement, Pablo Astilla served as Gobernadorcillo of Binangonan de Lampon from 1896 to 1897.Under the Revolutionary Government and First Philippine Republic, he was the Politico-Military Governor of District of Infanta where he led the Infanta resistance against the invading American forces during the Philippine-American War
After the war, Colonel Pablo Astilla continued his public service as the Town President of Infanta from 1908 to 1910. Later, he represented Infanta as a delegate to the 1935 Constitutional Assembly.
Image:Exhibit461.jpg|thumb| Exhibit 461: Communication forwarding to the Treasury Department a list of the provincial chiefs of provinces subject to the revolutionary government. |center
Philippine Revolution
Pablo Astilla participated in the Battle of Mount Puray on June 14, 1897, a significant engagement between Filipino revolutionaries and Spanish forces. The battle was a turning point in the revolution, as it enabled Emilio Aguinaldo to retreat safely and eventually reach Biak-na-Bato, where he established a stronghold.On July 20, 1898, Pablo Astilla led the Infanta Katipuneros in an attack against Spanish forces, resulting in Spanish surrender. This victory marked the end of Spanish colonial rule in Distrito de La Infanta.
Philippine–American War
On August 6, 1900, General Juan Cailles wrote a correspondence to Pablo Astilla, requesting him to join forces and launch a coordinated attack against the advancing American troops in Laguna. Responding to this call, on September 14, 1900, Astilla led the Infanta column into Mabitac, where he joined forces with Cailles. On September 17, 1900, their combined forces—along with the Baybay column— engaged and defeated the invading American troops commanded by Colonel Benjamin F. Cheatham, Jr. in the Battle of Mabitac.Following the American defeat at Mabitac, on September 21, 1900, General Robert H. Hall was ordered to launch an expedition to assert control over revolutionary-held territories in the Infanta District. As part of this campaign, on October 9, 1900, American forces occupied the town of Binangonan de Lampon, then the district capital. Following American occupation of Infanta District's capital, revolutionary forces led by Colonel Astilla withdrew to the mountainous interior of the district, where they continued to mount guerilla resistance against American control. For his leadership and defiance, Colonel Pablo Astilla was dubbed the "Insurgent Governor" of Infanta. However, on November 23, 1900, Astilla's forces suffered a significant defeat when American troops under Captain Francis P. Fremont attacked the revolutionary headquarters at San Cristobal, a remote mountain area of Infanta. The assault disrupted local resistance, though it did not entirely extinguish the revolutionary movement in the region.
On May 5, 1901, Colonel Pablo Astilla was captured by American forces. His arrest drew significant attention due to the sizeable number of men under his command along with the large cache of war supplies found in his possession.