The Bud Dajo Event:

Battle Or Massacre
Aragon, Justine Rey F.
Environmental Science
Philippines History
0ct 6, 2021
Introduction
OVERVIEW
The “Battle of Bud Dajo” is a massacre occurred
between American and Moro in 1906. Bud Dajo is
an extinct volcano that serves as the camp of the
Moro rebels during this revolution against Americans.
Due to the resistance of the Moro to the power of
American government 600+ lives on the side of
Moros were put to an end.
 Objective of the Report
Answer the
1. following questions:
What happened to the Battle of Bud Dajo?
• What triggered this unfortunate event?
• Who are involved in this battle?
• What is the exact timeline of the
occurrences in the battle of Bud Dajo?
1. What are the casualties of the battle of Bud
Dajo?
2. Were the Americans involved in this massacre
punished?
3. Is this event known by the Filipinos today?
What happened to the Battle of Bud
Dajo? What triggered this event to occur?
General Leonard Wood, the governor of the Moro
province implemented new reforms, it includes
the abolition of slavery and the imposition of
cedula. The imposition of cedula became a
problem in some Moros because of their beliefs.
Moros believed that by paying the cedula, they
will be submitting themselves to the God of those
who are imposing it.
 Who are involved in this battle?
-
Name Description Picture
General Leonard Woods Commanded the battle of
Bud Daje and the
governor of the Moro
province
Colonel J.W. Duncan The one who lead
Americans in the battle
of Bud Dajo
Major Bundy, Captain The columns were under
Rivers, and Captain their command
Lawton
Captain Reeves- Acting governor of Sulu

• Number of soldiers in American’s side::

272 men of the 6th Infantry
211 men of 4th Calvary
68 men of the 28th Artillery Battery
51 Sulu Constabulary
110 men of the 19th Infantry
6 sailors from the gunboat Pampanga.
 Timeline: Before the Battle
General Main paths
Colonel Wood held to Bud
Pala (a
Scott of an Dajo were The High
Moro) Sulu went exhibition blocked ranking The rebels
went after Pala to capture and minor Datus began to
berserk but Pala’s Pala but path only asked the raid nearby
(Jurament Datu did was remained. rebel to goo Moro
ado) in a not allow ambushed Months back to settlements
British- it. Pala in Bud have their homes for women
escaped Dajo passed and but they and cattle
held from the causing the number refused
Borneo Americans him to of rebels
retreat increased
 Timeline: During the Battle

Last
The Direct
Governor Scott negotiation
March 7 encounter of
send Three made by
the battle
friendly Datu to March 6 Captain Major Bundy's
March 5, started here
disarm and Reeves, but he detachment
as mountain Wood and Bliss and 200 moro
disband or at failed. the encountered a
guns fired 40 arrived, but left died in this part
least send their Americans barricade
rounds Duncan in of the battle.
woman and drew up into blocking the
of shrapnel into direct This also
children to the three columns path, 500 feet
the crater. command. caused heavy
valley. The and proceeded (150 m) below casualties in
rebels refused up the three the summit. American’s
the request main mountain
side
paths.
 Timeline: During the Battle

They were
Captain Rivers'
harassed by
detachment also
Captain Lawton's Moros hurling
encountered a
detachment boulders and
barricade, and
advanced up a occasionally The fight last ‘till
took it after
poor path, so rushing to attack the morming of the
several hours of
steep in places hand-to-hand with next day. Moros
fighting, during
that the Americans krises. Lawton were wiped out.
which Rivers
proceeded on finally took the
himself was
hands and knees. defensive trenches
severely wounded
on the crater rim
by a spear. 
by storm.

“Kill or capture those savages”. Commanded by General Wood

The Casualties
Number of Deaths
Moros: 700 to 1,000
Americans: 25

Number of Injured
Americans:70
Were the American involved in
this massacre punished?
Though seen as an achievement by some.
No, they were awarded instead.
Upon knowing the victory in the
battle. General Wood were
congratulated by President Theodore
Roosevelt. The news was also in the
headlines of The New York Times in
March 11, 1906, entitled “WOMEN
AND CHILDREN KILLED IN
MORO BATTLE; Mingled with
Warriors and Fell in Hail of Shot.
Most criticized wood for killing hundreds
of women and children.
Wood defended himself by stating that
even women and children took part of the
combat. One interview in The New York
Time also said:
“The Moros killed in Fort Dajo were
members of predatory bands that had been
robbing and pillaging their own people on
the Islands of Jolo for a long time, and the
ordinary police forces had been unable to
constrain them. In order to maintain
HAVE YOU EVER
HEARD OF THIS
EVENT IN OUR
HISTORY?
Is this event known by the
Filipinos today?
I don’t think so. As a student who went through
elementary and high school, this event was never
taught to me. This is the first time that I’ve heard
this event in our history. Only recently this was
addressed by President Duterte in ASEAN summit
to counter-attack the criticism of US in Pres.
Duterte’s war on drugs. Because of this, several
reports and article were published about this
 Thing that you learned about this
event :
The things that I learned after making this presentation is when the time of America came in Philippines, the time where
the other country like America occupied our country, it was so hard for us to resist them because they are the rule and
they have power to rule us, and if you disobey them they can kill you without knowing others. So base on my report, the
way the Americans threat the Moros is not really good they there are some good things happen when the Americans came
here in Philippines but they are also some bad things happen while they here, one example for that is what happen on
Bud Dajo. The Americans came to Philippines to teach us their tradition religion and other customs, we welcome them
with warm hearth, but some of them feel that they are higher to us and they can control our moves, just like in Solo or
bud Dajo where they make some rules that the other Moros don’t want to they force the Moros to submit to them until
they rebilled to Americans. After the American know about the rebelled they force them to surrender until the massacre
start and thousand of Moros die in that massacre between American and Moros. The lesson I learned in this event was
don’t be slave in other people because you’re the only one who's going to suffered and don’t be so kind in other people
because they will abused your kindness, an this kind of situation always happening in our environment. Some of people
try go get your trust and in the end they will betray you.
To more information:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBfp2CNtC7A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri79O5-LhC4

https://military.wikia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Bud_Dajo
https://ivc.lib.rochester.edu/intimacy-and-annihilation-approaching-the-enforcement-of-u-s-coloni
al-rule-in-the-southern-philippines-through-a-private-photograph-collection/
https://frankwarner.typepad.com/free_frank_warner/2006/12/too_much_johnso.html (Journal
from an American soldier)
https://www.nytimes.com/1906/03/11/archives/women-and-children-killed-in-moro-battle-mingle
d-with-warriors-and.html
Thank you