Isabelo de Los Reyes - The Philippines and Politics

The Philippines and Politics

On July 1, 1901, the Spanish government permitted Don Belong to return to the Philippines. He brought many books with him, among which were those written by Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Victor Hugo, Pierre Joseph Proudhon, Mikhail Bakunin, and other socialists of Europe. These books inspired him to introduce socialism to the Philippines, where he became known as the first Filipino Marxist.

After returning, de los Reyes was jailed for inciting labor strikes against American business firms. Influenced by anarchism and Marxism during his imprisonment in Barcelona, in 1902 de los Reyes founded the first labor union in the country, the Unión Obrera Democrática. He wanted to protect Filipinos against what he perceived as the exploitation of labor by American capitalist institutions. In the same year, he and other UNO members launched the Philippine Independent Church, to create a national church independent of the Pope and the Catholic Church. He chose his fellow Ilocano compatriot, Gregorio Aglipay, as its first bishop.

In 1912 at the age of 48, Don Belong was elected as councilor of the city of Manila, and began his political career. Winning re-election, he served as councilor until 1919.

Beginning his campaign for the senate in 1922, in 1923, de los Reyes won a Senate seat in an election against Elpidio Quirino to represent the Ilocos region.

After his term and the death of his third wife in childbirth, Don Belong returned to private life in the 1920s. He dedicated the remainder of his life to religious writings for the Aglipayan Church, in which he was made an honorary bishop. He wrote many sermons and other Christian literature, including the basic materials for the Aglipayan Church.