He started his political life as a member of President Emilio Aguinaldo's cabinet at Malolos and vice president of the Malolos Congress. He later became a member of the Philippine Commission in 1901 and was elected as a Resident Commissioner to the Sixtieth and to the two succeeding Congresses (November 22, 1907 - March 3, 1912). He was not a candidate for renomination to the Sixty-third Congress in 1912, in large part due to opposition to his candidacy from the Philippine Assembly.[1] He founded the Federalista Party in the early part of the 20th century.[2] He was an upper-class Filipino who cooperated with the United States.[2]