Pedro Bravo de Acuña (died June 24, 1606) was a Spanish military officer and colonial official in the New World and the Philippines.

He became a knight of the Order of St. John, and was named governor of Cartagena de Indias in Tierra Firme on the Caribbean coast in 1593.

Bravo de Acuña promptly began to construct galleys and other vessels in the shipyard, to defend the sea, which was full of enemies and pirates from other islands, especially from Mindanao.

He was much preoccupied with settling matters with the Empire of Japan and with the Sultanate of Sulu, in addition he also had to see that the ships were robust enough to make the voyage to New Spain.

A few days after his arrival in Manila, Bravo de Acuña received Chiquiro, an envoy from Tokugawa Ieyasu (or Daifu Sama, as he was known to the Spanish), ruler of Japan.

Ieyasu wanted to establish trade and friendship with New Spain, and asked for masters and workmen to be sent to Japan to build ships for that purpose and for a navy.

Fray Geronimo was written and instructed to tell Ieyasu with what pleasure the governor had received the good-will that he manifested to him, and the peace and friendship with the Spaniards, and all the other things that he was doing for them; and that he, the governor, would keep it and observe it insofar as he was concerned, and that every year he would send a Spanish ship to trade at Quanto according to Daifu's desire, and that he would despatch it quickly.

As to the navigation which the latter wished to undertake to Nueva España and his desire to have masters sent him for that purpose, to build ships for that voyage, that was a matter which — although the governor would do his best to effect, and to please him in everything — was not within his control, without first informing his Majesty and the latter's viceroy in Nueva España thereof; for he, the governor, had no power or authority outside of the affairs of his government of the Philippines.

The ship carrying Chiquiro back to Japan, however, was wrecked on Hermosa Island, and the vessel, the messenger and the message were lost.

Letters had also been received from Fray Geronimo, reporting that Ieyasu had agreed to permit Christian missionaries and churches in Japan.

Fray Geronimo made a quick visit to Manila to find out the fate of ambassador Chiquiro, and then returned with the information to Japan.

The missionaries that had been allowed into the country found their reception to be much cooler than anticipated, apparently because permission was a political measure intended to obtain Spanish help with shipbuilding.

The governor hastily started for the island of Panay to ascertain the state of affairs, leaving the government in Manila in charge of Licenciado Antonio de Ribera, auditor of the Audiencia.

Soon afterwards raiders from Mindanao attacked Luzon, taking some Spaniards captive and holding them for ransom, and burning the town of Calilaya.

Just at that time Governor Bravo, who was hastily returning to Manila after he had received news of the pirates, passed the island.

The governor ordered the commander to make more haste and gave him some of his own men to guide him to where he had left the pirates the day before, whereupon they went to attack them.

However, the sentinels of the raiders raised the alarm, and they left the river in haste, throwing into the sea goods and slaves in order to flee more lightly.

Some years before this the king of Spain had ordered an expedition be sent from Portuguese India for the capture of the fort of Terrenate in the Moluccas.

The necessary preparations of ships, munitions, and men were made for this undertaking in India, and Andrea Furtado de Mendoça, an able and experienced soldier, was chosen general of the expedition.

He sailed from Goa with six galleons, fourteen galliots and fustas, and other ships, and 1,500 fighting men, with supplies and munitions for the fleet.

At the end of 1602 the Spanish force was dispatched from the Philippines, taking with them the ship Santa Potenciana and three large frigates, with 150 well-armed Spanish soldiers, 10,000 fanégas of rice, 1,500 earthen jars of palm wine, 200 head of salt beef, 20 hogsheads of sardines, conserves and medicines, 50 quintals of powder, cannonballs and bullets, and cordage and other supplies, the whole in charge of Captain Joan Xuarez Gallinato, with orders to take that help to Terrenate and to place himself under the command of the Portuguese general.

Fourteen people died in the fire, Spaniards, Filipinos and Negroes, among them Licentiate Sanz, canon of the cathedral.

The Spaniards soon tried to follow up their victory, but after pursuing the Chinese for some distance, they were surrounded by a large force and cut to pieces.

The Chinese were unable to take the walls of Manila, but remained in the parián and at Dilao until the return of part of the Spanish fleet forced them to abandon those locations.

He was so expeditious that with little or no loss of men, he found the Sangleys fortified in San Pablo and Batangas, and, after fighting with them, killed and destroyed them all.

Many rich men of Manila, frightened by the past troubles, took passage in these vessels (especially the San Antonio) with their households and property, with the greatest wealth that had ever left the Philippines.

Both vessels experienced such severe storms during the voyage, that the flagship, without masts and greatly lightened and damaged, put back in distress to Manila.

Bravo de Acuña assembled a fleet ("which consisted of five ships, four galleys with poop-lanterns (galeras de fanal), three galliots, four champans, three funeas, two English lanchas, two brigantines, one barca chata for the artillery, and thirteen fragatas with high freeboard") in Pintados.

There were also some Portuguese survivors of the Dutch occupation of Tidore, 400 Filipinos, a quantity of artillery and ammunition, and provisions for nine months.

He had accumulated considerable wealth during his administration, and as a result was subjected to a juicio de residencia (grievance tribunal), as his predecessor had been.