Mariano Numeriano Castañeda (20 December 1892 – 8 September 1970) was a Chief of Staff of the

Armed Forces of the Philippines The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) () are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Philippine Army, Army, the Philippine Air Force, Air Force, and the Philippine Navy, Navy (including the P ...

from 1948 to 1951 and also served as Military Governor of Cavite during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He was a recipient the Philippines highest military award for

courage Courage (also called bravery, valour ( British and Commonwealth English), or valor (American English)) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in ...

, the Medal of Valor.

Military education and WWII service

Castañeda graduated from the

Philippine Military Academy The Philippine Military Academy ( / ) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). It was established on Decembe ...

on 15 November 1915, and from the Infantry School at

Fort Benning Fort Benning (named Fort Moore from 2023–2025) is a United States Army post in the Columbus, Georgia area. Located on Georgia's border with Alabama, Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve compone ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in 1940. He became President

Manuel Quezon Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (, , , ; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier, and politician who was president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 until his d ...

's aide-de-camp that same year and fought with the

United States Army Forces in the Far East United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Hukbong Katihan ng Estados Unidos sa Malayong Silangan''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Fuerzas del Ejército de los Estados Unidos en el Lejano Oriente'') was a m ...

during the Battle of Bataan. He survived the

Bataan Death March The Bataan Death March was the Death march, forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of around 72,000 to 78,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war (POWs) from the municipalities of Bagac and Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula to Camp ...

in 1942 and began organizing resistance against Imperial Japanese occupation, most notably the Fil-American Cavite Guerrilla Forces shortly thereafter. In 1944, the Japanese-controlled

Second Philippine Republic The Second Philippine Republic, officially the Republic of the Philippines and also known as the Japanese-sponsored Philippine Republic, was a Japanese-Axis powers, backed government established on October 14, 1943, during the Japanese occupatio ...

appointed him

Governor of Cavite The governor of Cavite is the local chief executive of the Provinces of the Philippines, Province of Cavite in the Philippines. History During most part of the History of the Philippines (1521–1898), Spanish colonial era, Cavite was administ ...

. After seven months in office, the Japanese became aware of his guerrilla affiliation and attempted to arrest him; he was able to elude his would-be captors and joined his comrades in the field and he engineered along with his FACGF officers and in coordination with the US 11th Airborne Division General Swing and Col.Jay Vanderpool the battle for the liberation of the province of Cavite

Post-WWII service

Castañeda was appointed Provost Marshal General of the Philippine Army on 1 June 1946. He became

Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CSAFP) is the highest-ranking military officer (except for the President of the Philippines, who holds the position of Commander-in-Chief equivalent to a five-star general) and the he ...

two years later. The night before the Philippine Parity Rights plebiscite in 1947, President

Manuel Roxas Manuel Acuña Roxas (; January 1, 1892 – April 15, 1948) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the fifth president of the Philippines from 1946 until his death in 1948. He served briefly as the third and last President of the ...

addressed a rally at

Plaza Miranda Plaza Miranda is a public square bounded by Quezon Boulevard, Hidalgo Street and Evangelista Street in Quiapo, Manila. It is the plaza which fronts the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno (Quiapo Church), one of the main churc ...

. He narrowly avoided an assassination attempt by Julio Guillen, a disgruntled barber who threw a

grenade A grenade is a small explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a Shell (projectile), shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A mod ...

on the speaker's platform. José Avelino, the Senate President, saw the bomb and gave it a kick. Castañeda then kicked it further down a set of steps as he covered the President with his own body. The grenade exploded near the audience, killing two people and injuring others. Guillen was arrested and executed via the

electric chair The electric chair is a specialized device used for capital punishment through electrocution. The condemned is strapped to a custom wooden chair and electrocuted via electrodes attached to the head and leg. Alfred P. Southwick, a Buffalo, New Yo ...

on 26 April 1950. Castañeda was conferred the Medal of Valor as a consequence of his actions that night.

Death

Mariano Castañeda died in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

at the age of 77 on 8 September 1970, leaving behind his wife and six children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Castañeda, Mariano Chiefs of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Armed Forces of the Philippines Medal of Valor Recipients of the Philippine Medal of Valor Philippine Army personnel Bataan Death March prisoners Philippine Constabulary personnel 1892 births 1970 deaths People from Imus Philippine Military Academy alumni Governors of Cavite Quirino administration personnel