The Philippines: Past and Present Volume II Part 52

[98] Ibid., 1204. 3.

[99] P. I. R., 981. 5.

[100] "You and Captain Antonio must take the field this week without any pretext whatsoever, and must follow out my instructions very carefully. We have had patience enough, and now it becomes necessary for us to a.s.sert our authority.

"It is advisable to punish by decapitation all those who go with the Americans; but it is necessary first to ascertain the existence of the crime, and if it should appear that they are real spies of the enemy, they must be beheaded immediately without any pretext whatsoever against it (being accepted).

"You, Captain Antonio and Judge Cornello must perfectly understand what this order says: when the wealthy are Americanistas, you must seize all their money, clothing and other property belonging to them, immediately making an inventory of the property seized, and you may remain in the place where the seizure is made as long as may be necessary to make said inventory, even though a great amount is spent for maintenance.

"Know furthermore that if the soldiers take any of the property seized, they will speedily be put to death and will surely go to h.e.l.l; therefore when it becomes necessary to enter a town to make a seizure, you must direct the soldiers not to touch the goods seized, even the most insignificant, in order to avoid consequence of character.

"I have heard, Rufo, that Judge Cornello is opposed to your father-in-law, and I want you to know that Judge Cornello is of my blood; therefore, tell your father-in-law to be very careful because he will have me to treat with shortly, and will be made to pay for those threats which he is making against the people without good cause.

"You will publish this order in the town hall, in order that the evil-minded may see it.

"You, Captain Antonio and Judge Cornello, who are the three comrades who are to take the field, will acquire some happiness if you comply with this order.

"Health and Fraternity.

"Dionisio Papa.

"Calibon, May 19, 1900."

--P. I. R., 970. 4.

[101] "Make it evident in that circular that the towns which do not rise up in arms on the day fixed, shall be reduced to ashes and all their inhabitants killed, men and women, children and old people.

"The circular is to emanate from me, and you will sign it only by my order.

"Communicate also to the presidents of Cagayan and other towns that they collect the taxes of their respective towns, as soon as possible; and a president who shall not have collected the taxes on my arrival in the respective town, shall be hung without any hesitation whatsoever.

"I desire that the Presidents meet there soon and await my arrival."

--P. I. R., 970. 5.

[102] P. I. R., 1102. 7.

[103] Ibid., 970. 11.

[104] "March 20, 1900.

"Manuel Tinio y Bubdloc,

"Brigadier General and Commander in Chief of operations in the region of Ilocos.

"Considering that a sufficient time has pa.s.sed and various means of having been employed as benignant as humanity counsels, to inculcate in the minds of many misguided Filipinos the idea of the country and to check in the beginning those unworthy acts which many of them commit, and which not only redound to the prejudice of the troops but also to the cause they defend, and having observed that such action does not produce any favourable result on this date, in accordance with the powers vested in me, I have deemed proper to issue the following:--

"PROCLAMATION

"First and last article. The following shall be tried at a most summary trial, and be sentenced to death:

"1. All local presidentes and other civil authorities, of the towns as well as of the barrios, rancherias and sitios of their respective districts, who as soon as they find out any plan, direction of the movement or number of the enemy shall not give notice thereof to the nearest camp.

"2. Those who give information to the enemy of the location of the camp, stopping places, movements and direction of the revolutionists, whatever be the age or s.e.x of the former.

"3. Those who voluntarily offer to serve the enemy as guides, excepting if it be with the purpose of misleading them from the right road, and

"4. Those who, of their own free will or otherwise, capture revolutionary soldiers who are alone, or who should intimidate them into surrendering to the enemy.

"Issued at General Headquarters on March 20, 1900.

(Signed) "Manuel Tinio."

--P. I. R., 353. 8.

[105] Guardias de Honor.

[106] "So then dear brothers, be like those of Bacnotan who have not allowed their honour to be sullied, for when they saw the Guards of Honour enter their town they drove them off at once with blows [of bolos?--Tr.] and cudgels and to the end that you may not have cause to repent of what without doubt I shall be obliged to do, comply with this order, listen to the following:

"First. Whenever the Presidente of the town, Cabezas and Cabezillas of barrios shall have knowledge of the presence in their barrios of Guards of Honour, be they many or few, and do not cause their disappearance or death, they will be immediately shot or beheaded.

"Second. Every barrio or residence of the Guards of Honour where they are going about persuading the inhabitants to follow them in their noxious work--that we may be slaves forever--will be burned and all their property together with their houses; and their sons, their fathers, mothers and their wives will be shot or beheaded to pay for their treason.

"Third and last. All the grown men in the barrios, territorial militiamen or those called 'sandatahan' (bolomen), corporals, sergeants and privates, and everybody who is a Filipino will go immediately to help in the fight against the Guards of Honour and our enemy, the Americans; and those who pay no heed to this or hide themselves will incur the penalty of being shot or beheaded.

"This proclamation will be read in the barrios and will be pa.s.sed from hand to hand so that it may be copied to the end that n.o.body may have an excuse when the time comes to put into execution what has been set forth."--P. I. R., 168. 9.

[107] Taylor, Exhibit 1083.

[108] P. I. R., 509. 2.

[109] "September 11, 1900.

"To the local Presidents of Malolos, Bulacan, Guiguinto, Bigaa, Bocaue, Marilao, Meycauayan, Polo, Obando, Santa Maria, San Jose, Angat, Norzagaray, Bustos, San Rafael, Baliuag, Pulilan, Quingua, Santa Isabel, Barasoain, Paombong, Hagonoy, Calumpit, and the military commanders Pablo Tecson, Bonifacio Morales, Maximo Angeles and Colonel Simon Tecson Libuano, Colonel Rosendo Simon, and also Major Dongon.

"Circular

"As the American Civil Commission has taken charge of the government of the archipelago from the first of the present month and from that date will proceed to establish munic.i.p.al government in the pueblos to take the place of the munic.i.p.al councils which at present rule them; in order to duly execute the orders of the Commanding General of the Centre of Luzon, I give you the following instructions:--

"1st. You will arrest and send to these headquarters with the proper precautions to prevent escape, all inhabitants of these pueblos who accept offices in the munic.i.p.al governments about to be established by the Americans, as they have been declared traitors to the country by the order I have referred to as issued by these headquarters.

"2d. You will employ the same method of procedure with those who favour the establishment of munic.i.p.al government by the Americans. You will not show them the slightest consideration, even if they are your brothers. You are responsible under the severest penalties for the performance of this. G.o.d keep you many years.

"Malolos, September 11, 1900.