Nuqui, Kyle Justine Roie C.

M/F:1230H-1400H

RPHIST1-BAE

REACTION PAPER ON THE RAIDERS OF THE SULU SEA

The film “The Raiders of the Sulu Sea” is an hour-long historical documentary film that was
made in 2008. the film depicts the slave trading business that emerged even before and during
the Spanish Colonization in the southern tip of Mindanao in Zamboanga. It involved the three
Filipino-Muslim tribes: the Balangingi-Samal, Ilanuns and the Sultanate who were considered
raiders or pirates. But as far as the film goes, they were not really pirates who raids ships in the
high seas. They were a sort of “hit and run” raiders where in they pose as fishermen and drop on
a shore then take as many people as they can to sell as slaves. Even the Spaniards were in a bind
on thinking how to capture these raiders because of the latter’s boats, but it ended when they
ordered three faster and easier to navigate steamboats from England. Despite their loss, the three
tribes still showed their will and courage by attacking and raiding the Fort Pilar, which was
ten(10) meter-high with fortifications. Well, although they did fight the Spaniard, it cannot be
denied that they used brutality in showing their strength and courage. Which I do not like.

The film may show a lot of things like courage and strength. But I do not like the brutality
shown regarding the slave trading business that the raiders of Sulu sea shown. Slave trading is a
business where in you go capture people using brutal means and sell them to someone like some
sort of servant for money. Well, I mean as a student studying Criminology, I just cannot ignore
the fact of removing the human rights of those people.

Aside from that, I can almost agree with everything in the video. The bravery of these tribes
were almost impressive aside from the fact that I noted earlier. They were especially really
skillful in planning the raid for Fort Pilar which I think is amazing.

But these things may not actually what really happened those times. Regarding the fact that
we were not born yet that time. We have no other choice but to believe the things written in
books and study them harder to know what really happened in our history.