I.

Preliminaries

Title Page: Macario Sakay and the Tagalog Republic Farolan

Acknowledgement:

I am grateful and thankful to Macario Sakay because he is a brave man who

fought to the Spaniards and the Americans for the independence of us

Filipinos. Thanks to him because he is a good example for us that even in our

lowest moment we still need to fight for the sake of many and as a student as

a son we need to study hard to have a better life and to repay the hard work

of our parents who supports us in our study.

Dedication:

This study is dedicated to Macario Sakay and to his soldiers who have been

one of the sources of encouragement when thought of giving up in doing

activities in school. Even they did not succeed in their mission we people right

now have many chances and there are no bariers in achieving our dreams so

we must continue it untill we reach our top of the most.

II. Main Part

A. Background of the Author

Macario Sakay De Leon was born on MArch 1, 1878. along Tabora, Street,

Tondo, in the City of Manila. He first work as an apprentice in a carriage

(kalesa) manufacturinf shop. He was also a tailor and a stage actor,

performing in a number of plays including Principlec Baldovino, Doce Pares

de Francia, and Amante de la Corona. An original member of the Katipunan

movement, which he joined in 1894, he fought alongside Andres Bonifacio

against the Spanish throughtout the Philippine Revolution. In 1899, he

continued the struggle for Phillipine independence against the United States.

Early in the Phillipine - American War, he was jailed for seditious activities,

and later released as part of an amnesty.

Sakay was one of the founders of the Partido Nationalista, which sought to

achieve Philippine independence through legal means. The party appealed to

the Philippine Commission, but the commision passed the Sedition law, which

prohibited any form of propaganda advocating independence. Sakay took up

arms against.

Around 1902, Sakay established the Tagalog Republic somewhere in the

mountains of rizal. His first military circulars and presidential orders as

‘’President and Commander-in-chief were isued in 1903’’. Sakay’s military

circular No.1 was dated May 5, 1903, and his residential order No.1 was

dated March 18, 1903.

B. Summary of The Account or Events

Macario Sakay was a Filipino General who took part in the 1896 Philippine

Revolution against the Spanish Empire and in the Philippine-American War.

After the war was declared over by the United States in 1902, Sakay

continued resistance by leading Guerrila Raids. The following year he

established the Tagalog Republic with himself as President.

C. Content Analysis

In Sakay’s military circular No.7, dated June 19, 1903, the government of the

Tagalog Republic (called the ‘’Republic of the Philippines’’) affirmed the

formation of an organized army. The army units were composed of kabohans

(eight soldiers equivalent to a squad), Camilleros (nine soldiers), Companias

(117 soldiers, equivalent to a company, and the Batalions (801 soldiers,

equivalent to a company).

However, in Sakay’s Second Manifesto,dated April 5, 1904, it said the exact

number of soldiers in the army could not be ascertained. There are insufficient

documents to provide a basis for historians to speculate on the size of the

Republic’s army, but these demonstrate that Sakay’s army existed and it was

lead by officers appointed and commisioned by sakay himself.

In Sakay’s Presidential order No.2, dated May 8, 1903, the government, in

search of sources of weapons to carry out its struggles against the

Americans, said that it was willing to confer military rank on citizens who could

turn over firearms to the Presidential office or any of the headquarters under

its command. Ranks would be conferred by the following schedule: 10 to 15

firearms, captain; 26 to 36 firearms, major; 40 to 50 firearms, colonel

government assigned the following color codes for the divisions of its army:

artillery (red), infantry (light blue), cavalry (dark blue), engineering (dark

brown), chief-of-staff ( dark green) sanitary (yellow), and marines (gray).

D. Context Analysis

Tagalog Republic is an army establishment by Macario Sakay to fight against

the Americans who wants to control or seize the Filipinos, but because

America is powerful they made Macario Sakay surrender. Macario Sakay

published these because he wants to free the Filipinos from the hands of the

foreigners. American authorities initiated a separation of the Catholic Church

from the state. English was introduced as the official language; the education

system reformed; port, rail, and road building programs iniated; war damaged

settlements rebuilt. After its defeat in the spanish-American War of 1898,

Spain ceded its longstanding colony of the Philippines to the United States in

the Treaty of Paris. An initial phase of high growth occurred during the 1910s

due to the recovery from the wars with the spain and the US, and investment

in agriculture. The Philippine would at first briefly outpace its neighbors.

Christianity was spread specifically protestantism, to the Filipino people. This

resulted in significant changes in the Philippine religion, culture, and way of

life.

E. Contribution and Relevance

History events has big impacts to Filipinos nowadays they have learn many

things about technology, business, medicine, structures, and many more.

Additionally they have become more dependently they unite as one for more

enhancement, and improvement.

As a researcher I agree on foreigners coming here in the Philippine showing

and teaching their knowledge about any thing for the enhancement of our

country. I disagree to the laws from the past that they are killing each other
just to conquer the land they want, but instead why don’t we help each other

for our better future and the future of our children.

As a student I have learned that everything can be settled if we do it in a nice

talking or making agreements. Giving up is not a solution to our struggles but

eitheir we let that struggle make us down or up.

Macario Sakay

The revolutionary impulse that had spurred the formation of the New

Katipunan in Rizal and Bulacan was to culminate in the birth of a Filipino

Republic with the consolidation of several resistance forces in the Rizal-

Cavite-Laguna-Batangas area. These forces were lead by Macario Sakay,

Julian Montalan and Cornelio Felizardo.

In January, 1902, around six organized groups were operating in Cavite

alone, the most prominent being those led by Julian Montalan and Cornelio

Felizardo. Montalan had a good record as a rebel leader. Ricarte mentions

him in his memoirs as having participated in the assault on Caridad and in the

defense of Bacoor, Cavite. For this action, Montalan was promoted to the rank

of major.

These different bonds conducted guerilla operations in Cavite and Batangas.

Despite the capture of many of their number, the groups remain large enough

to require the assignment of as many as 1,200 government troops to this

area. In September of 1904, the various resistance group which had fought its

way southward until it affected a junction with Montalan’s force.

Macario Sakay, a barber from Tondo who had been with Bonifacio and

Jacinto during the early days of the-Filipino-American war. He had tried to

revive the Katipinan in Manila for which he was aprehended and jailed under

the Sedition Law. Released after the proclamation of amnesty in July, 1902,

he resumed his Katipunan activities and went to the mountains, eventually

taking command of the guerrillas in the Rizal-Cavite-Laguna-Batangas area.

The Tagalog Republic

At about this time, a large number of Constabulary soldiers and scouts were

sent to quell a rebellion in Samar. Sakay’s, Montalan, and Felizardo decided

the time was right for a massive push. But first they organized themselves by

formally establishing in the Philippine Republic, or what Sakay referred to as

the Tagalog Republic. They chose Sakay to head their movement with the title

of President and work put their chain of command.

Julian Montalan took over-all charge of military operations with the rank of Lt.

General. He had under his control, besides his own personal group the bands

of Col. Ramos, Col. Masigla, and Lt. Col de Vega. These three had

jurisdiction over most of Cavite and eastern Batangas. Another contingent but

also under Montalan’s supervision was that of Major General Cornileo

Felizardo who had two groups under him operating in the Passay-Bacoor area

in the northern part of Cavite. Then there was Brig. General Oruga whose

officers operated in various sectors: Col. Villanueva in Batangas, Lt. Col. Vito

in the Lake Taal region, and Major Flores in Laguna.

The group meticulously established the number of men and their ranks that

were to compose each military subdivision from the smallest grouping up to

the batallion. They even chose the colors that were to distinguish one branch

of the service from the other, for example, the infantry form the artillery, the

engineers from the medical corps.

Sakay’s republic has its own constitution which was paterned after the

constitution of the Katipunan. Sakay’s Vice President was Francisco Carreon

who had been a councilor of the early Katipunan of Bonifacio. Other names

which appear among the signers of this constitution are those of Aguedo del

Rosario who had likewise been a councilor of the Katipunan, Alejandro

Santiago, another councilor of the KKK Supreme Council, Nicolas Rivera,

former President of the Katotohan section of the Tondo popular councilor, and

original KKK members like Salustiano Cruz, Justo Bautista, Pedro Mendiola,

Feliciano Cruz, Jose Flores, and Benidito Fernandes.

In April, 1904, Sakay released a manifesto addresed to all foreign consulates

in which he affirmed the patriotic resolve of his movement to fight the United

States in order to defend the independence of the country. He declared that

he and his men were reveal revolutionaries and not mere brigands as the U.S.

government claimed because they had a flag, a government and a

constitution. In an accompanying proclamation, Sakay issued a warning to

those who would violate the territory of the country.

Suspension of the Writ

From September to December, the force of Montalan, Felizardo, Sakay, and

Oruga, now coordinating with one another, strengthened themselves in

preparation for a major uprising. They conducted raids in Cavite and

Batangas to capture arms and ammunition. On December 8, 1904, Felizardo

and his seventy-five men all dressed in constabulary uniforms, captured the

garrison at Parañaque, Rizal, making off with a rich booty of carbines,

revolvers, and ammunition.

Other raids followed. Three hundred armed men took part in the raid on

Malabon, most of them again in Constabulary uniforms. They captured all the

weapons of the Constabulary and the Municipal Police and aslo kidnapped

the family of Governor Mariano Trias. It will be recalled that Governor Trias

had been a General under Aguinaldo. When he became the first civil

Governor of Cavite under the Americans, he ordered the arrest of four town

presidentes suspected of complicity with the guerillas. The kidnapping was a

relatiatory move for this and other collaborationists acts of Trias. Mr. Trias and

his children were subsequently resqued by the Constabulary.

Reinforments of Constabulary troops and scout were rushed to the area. By

January 31, 1905, the situation was deemed critical enough, and the

magnitude of the “lawlessness” great enough to warrant the suspension of the

privilege of the writ had become necessary, the governor declared, because

prior to the suspension, captured “outlaws” could obtain bail. They then eitheir
disappeared or escaped conviction by intimidating witnesses against them.

Besides, the many court cases were trying down too many Constabulary

officials who should have been out hunting down the “ladrones”.

Sanctuaries and Supplies

Was mass support extended to the forces of Sakay, Montalan, Felizardo, and

their lieutenants? There is much evidence of this. First, as regards support

coming form town officials and community leaders: early in the fight against

the guerilla hands of Cavite, Captain Allen, the chief of theConstabulary,

wrote the President of the United States requesting the confescation of

property and lands of Filipinos who cooperate with outlaws. The Constabulary

complains in connection with atleas two encounters in two different towns that

local municipal authorities had been actively aiding the “ladrones”. And as

mention earlier, Governer Trias himself caused the arrest of four town

presidentes suspected of having withheld information regarding the

whereabouts the guerill groups.

Second, as regard mass support: various measures instituted by the

authorities reveal their awareness of public sympathy for the rebels.

Relocation of large groups of farmers was again resorted to ostensibly to

protect them from the guerillas but actually to isolate the latter and deny them

sanctuary among the people abd supplies from their sympathitizers.

Montalan, for example, organized a systematic form of taxation. Merchants,

farmers, laborers, all paid about 10% og their income. Some may have pay

out of fears but the Americans themselves admitted that even after the
establishment of civil government, the system of voluntary contributions to

guerilla forces continued.

The constabulary often complained that their cordons were ineffective. Such

measures failed largely because guerillas were about to slip through with the

aid of secret supporters. Of course, the suspension of the previlege of the writ

was in itself also a move against the people who supported the guerillas.

One novel manner by which some guerillas secured their weapons was

through the “muchacho boys” of the Americans. Some Filipino servant stole

the military hardware from the Americans in whose home they worked. The

guns and ammunition were then passed from hand to hand until theyb reach

their intended destination. One such domestic was caught with the cache of

“100 rounds of Krag-Jorgensen, 404 rounds of .45 calibre, nineteen rounds

of .38 calibre, and forty-one rounds of Springfield rifle ammunition” intended

for the guerillas of the Cavite.

The Constabulary conceded that the resistance groups had an extremely

effective security and intelligence system. They used spies within the

government forces for recruitment work and to determine the timing of their

attacks on Constabulary quarters and Scout posts. Whether for defensive or

offensive purposes, the cooperation of the people greatly helped the guerillas.

Illustrado War and People’s Wrath

One aspect of the struggle of the Sakay group should be noted: their war

against the enemy was very different from the warfare conducted by

Aguinaldo, so careful of his international reputation, solicitous of enemy

prisoners amenable to negotiation, and complacent about collaboration. The

Sakay fighters and this was also more or less true of other groups-did not

trust the enemy, agreed only to negotiations only to take advantage of them,

and used all sorts of tricks to minimize the advantages of the enemy in fire

power and numbers.

Thus, guerillas would often agree to surrender after given a truce period but

used the breathing spell to gather supplies, reorganize, recruit, and rearm.

They used Constabulary uniforms to confuse their enemy; they carefully timed

their attacks between dusk and bedtime when the soldiers and their officers

were usually scattered around town in search of recreation

But the most striking difference between the illustrado war and this one was in

the attitudes towards those who collaborated to with the enemy. Sakay issued

orders to arrest and sentence to hard labor all those who having the means to

contribute to the support of the resistance nevertheless to refused to do so.

He decreef that towns whose residents refuse to shelter the rebel forces when

the latter were being pursued by the enemy should be burned to the ground.

For informers and spies, the penalty was death. Many officials appointed by

the Americans were liquidated. Those suspected of informing on the guerillas

were tortured. Some had their lips and ears cut off and then set free so that

their condition might serve as a warning and deterrent to others. Two secret
service agents who had earlier been guerillas and were responsible for

sending many of their former comrades to prison were totured and hanged on

Montalan’s order.

Salami Tactics

The guerillas were no match for the combined strength of the Constabulary,

the Philippine Scouts, and elements of the U.S. army. Still, the government

used three thousands soldiers actively fighting for two years to destroy the

resitance of Sakay’s force. In the process, the American reinstituted

reconcentration in four pronvinces, suspended the previlege of the writ of

habeas corpus, and even brought in Muslims from Jolo and army-trained

blood-hounds from California to track down the guerillas. Secret servive

operatives were activr even in Manila where they bagged one of Montalan’s

offocers and former General Simeo Basa who had been passinf information to

the guerillas while working as a draftsman in an government office.

Extensive and intensive campaigns were conducted against separate bands,

preventing each particular target from joining up with other groups and

gradually whittling down its numbers. When General Oruga surrendered on

April 28, 1905, he had only seven men and a few guns. He surrendered to

Laguna Governor Juan Cailles, the former General Cailles undr whom Oruga

had served during the Revolution.

Felizardo continued fighting until his forced was reduced to six men. He

himself was wounded several times but still managed to elude the
Constabulary until the latter sent two Contables pretending to be deserters to

join his band. These two cut Felizardo’s throat, took his corpse to the

Americans, and received a P5,000 reward.

The Trap Is Set

Deception was to employed again on a broader scale and involving the

highest of American officialdom in order to write finis to the Tagalog Republic.

In mid-1905, Governer General Henry C. Ide authorized the labor leader, Dr.

Domindador Gomez, to conduct negotiations for the surrender of Sakay, his

officers and men. Meeting with Sakay at the latters mountains camp, Gomez

argued that only Sakay’s intransigence was holding up to the establishment of

a national assembly which would serve as the training ground in self-

government for Filipinos and the first step toward eventual independence.

Sakay agreed to his resistance on condition that a general amnesty be

granted to his men, that they be permitted to carry firearms, and that he and

his officers be allowed to leave the country assured of personal safety.

Gomez assured Sakay that his conditions would be acceptable to the

Americans. Governor General Wright signified his agreement to these

conditions when he conferred with Sakay’s emissary, General Leon

Villafuerte.

In July, Sakay left his mountains headquarters in Tanay and went down to

Manila in the company of Villafuerte. The people of Manila welcomed the

popular resitance leader; he was invited to receptions and baquets. One

invitation came from Col. Bandholtz who had been handling the negotiations

with Gomez. Bandholtz invited Sakay, in his principal lieutenants, and Dr.

Gomez to a party in Cavite in the residence of Cavite Governor Van Schaik.

While the party was in progress, an American captain suddenly grabbed

Sakay and disarmed him. Sakay’s officers were relieved of thei weapons after

Gomez informed them that it was useless to resist because the house was

surrounded by soldiers. The invitation had been a trap.

Death of a People’s Hero

Sakay and his officers were charged with having engaged in banditry and

accused of all sorts of crimes such as robbery, rape, kidnapping, and murder.

The trial, attended by hordes of interested spectators, was presided over by

Judge Ignacio Villamor who became President of the University of the

Philippines and later Justice of the Supreme Court. Under the provisions of

the Brigandage Act, Sakay and de Vega were sentenced to be hanged. The

others were sentence to long prison terms, with Monatalan and Villafuerte

eventually receiving executive clemency.

On Seprember 13, 1907, Gen. Macario L. Sakay and Col. Lucio de Vega were

taken out of their Bilibid prisons cell to be hanged. Standing on the platform in

the prison plaza, General Sakay shouted at the top of his voice:

Deat comes to all of us sooner or later, so I will face the Lord Almighty

calmly. But I want to tell you that we are not bandits and robbers, as the

Americans have accused us, but members of the revolutionary force that
defended our mother country, the Philippines! Farewell! Long live the

Republic and may our independence be born in the future! Farewell! Long live

the Philippines!

Sakay then forced the American executioner. Only a small group of guards

and prison employees witnessed the last moments of a brave patriot.