Early life Eulogio Pantaleón Villegas y Soldevillo was born on the 27th of July, 1873 in
Bacong, Negros Oriental to Don Policarpio Vergara Villegas, the son of Don Pedro Vergara Villegas (a Chinese Mestizo sugar baron who settled in the town of
Vallehermoso, Negros Oriental), and Doña Úrsula Soldevillo, the daughter of a wealthy capitan of Bacong. He was the third of the four siblings; Irinea (the eldest), Silvestra, Pantaleón, then Julian. They became orphans when both parents died when they were young. As a young boy, Pantaleón became a
sacristan of the parish church and eventually left his hometown for Cebu.
Occupation In 1895, Villegas worked at the Botica Antigua located in the corner of Calle del Palacio (today Burgos St.) and Calle Legazpi. It was a well-known drugstore frequented by many townsfolk. With him were Ciriaco Murillo and Eulogio Duque who told the writer
Manuel Enríquez de la Calzada that Villegas actually used the name "Eulogio", instead of Pantaleón. Because there were two Eulogios working in the drugstore, the owner decided to call him "León" instead. The reason for him using the name "Eulogio" is not known. Villegas did not stay long at Botica Antigua. He transferred to a bakery on Calle Página (today Pahina St.). From there he moved on to a circus on its way to
Manila. The circus happened to be owned by a
katipunero. It was there that he was recruited into the secret society of the
Katipunan.
Revolutionary Leadership in Cebu During the rebellion against Spain, Villegas led the revolutionaries in
Cebu. Initially intending to begin the rebellion on Easter Sunday, he was forced to change his plans when the Spaniards discovered the planned revolt.
Battle of Tres de Abril April 3, 1898,
Palm Sunday, Villegas and his men began the rebellion in Cebu. On April 4, the rebels drove the Spanish forces into
Fort San Pedro and took control of
Cebu City. When the Spanish gunboat
María Cristina opened fire, the rebels retreated to the Chinese quarter of Lutao. On April 7, 500 men of the 73rd Native Regiment and Spanish
cazadores with the cruiser
Don Juan de Austria arrived under the command of General Texeiro. This forced the rebels to retreat to San Nicolas. The Spanish continued pursuing the rebels into the mountain region until the next day. == Death ==