Career
Doctorate 1581?) was the second Spanish Governor General of the Philippines. He succeeded Miguel López de Legazpi in 1572 as governor, and was succeeded by Francisco de Sande on August 25, 1575. Little was known to Governor-General Lavezares.
He became the royal treasurer of the expedition during the navigation.
Later on, he was one of several prisoners who escaped from a prison in Ambon Island when Villalobos" crew and ships were captured by the patrolling Portuguese. Lavezaris also conquered the peninsula of Camarines and granted vast encomiendas to his loyal generals.
In 1574, he defeated the notorious Chinese pirate Limahong when the latter attempted to colonize the Philippines. In 1575, Spanish friar Martín de Rada filed a complaint to King Philip II of Spain against Lavezaris, which led to his removal from office.
He was reported for abusing power and imposing higher tributes to the natives.
He never returned to Spain but retired as a wealthy encomendero. His successor Francisco de Sande issued a decree in 1576 stating the division of his encomienda into smaller lands which were to be distributed to the natives. Sande also filed legal cases like usurpation to him, but this was later admonished by Philip World War II The municipality of Lavezares, Northern Samar was named after him.