Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 3599

Introduced by BAYAN MUNA Rep. CARLOS ISAGANI T. ZARATE

AN ACT
DECLARING MARCH SIX OF EVERY YEAR AS BUD DAHU DAY IN
COMMEMORATION OF THE BANGSAMORO PEOPLE’S RESISTANCE TO
FOREIGN OCCUPATION, THEIR CONTINUING QUEST FOR PEACE AND.
SELF-DETERMINATION, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

On March 5 to 8, 1906, a thousand Moro men, women, and children were massacred inside the
50-foot crater of Bud Dahu —a dormant volcano six kilometers off Jolo, the capital town of Sulu
Province in Mindanao. One hundred and seven years later, that infamous Bud Dahu Massacre
semains largely ignored by the Philippine government.

‘The victims were a community of Tausugs who fled to Bud Dahu in defiance of the United
States’ occupation of Mindanao. Spain ruled the country for 333 years but the Moros never
recognized its authority. When the Americans came, they were ready to defy the new colonizers
just as they defied Spanish colonization.

‘The American colonial government preferred to call the massacre a “battle” and described it as a
mete “legitimate armed confrontation between the military forces and a group of lawless
fanatics”. United States President Theodore Roosevelt even commended the American Amy for
“a most gallant and soldierly feat” in the fight at Mount Dahu.

personages quickly pointed out the contrary. American literary luminary and
social critic Mark ‘Twain called the encounter a massacre. He referred to the US troops as
uniformed assassins, and, the Moros as “helpless and weaponless savages in a hole like rats in a
trap.” American historian Vie Hurley said, “By no stretch of the imagination could Bud Dahu be
termed a ‘battle.’ The American troops stormed a high mountain peak crowned by fortifications
to kill 1,000 Moros with a loss to themselves of twenty-one killed and seventy-three wounded.
The casualty reflects the unequal nature of the battle.”

But many Amer

On those unfaithful days, the community was surprised, when, from the edges of the crater, 800
American soldiers fired their guns into the crater. Based on historical accounts, our Muslim
brothers and sisters fought desperately but their wavy-edged swords called £rrs, hunting spears,
and rifles were simply no match against the Americans’ firepower. Some of them, including


women and children, were mowed down by as many as fifty bullets while others were impaled
with bayonets. Only six survived the four-day assault.

Today, the Bud Dahu massacre continues to inspire the Bangsamoro people in their struggle for
self-determination. They invoke the same spirit in resisting the continued presence of U.S.
military forces in Mindanao since 2002, under the guise of holding joint military exercises
through the Visiting Forces Agreement.

Indeed, more than a century after the Bud Dahu massacre, the Bangsamoro people ate faced
with virtually the same issues: the assertion of their right to self-determination, resistance to
renewed U.S. intervention; and the quest for peace.

This bill seeks to rectify government's neglect in marking this important historical event. The
victims of the Bud Dahu massacte should be included in our country’s list of martyrs of
freedom. The government should hold commemorative activities of that massacre so that the
nation can better appreciate our history of struggle in general, and that of our Muslim brothers
and sisters in particular.

‘Thus, it is only right that the entire nation, most especially in the regions, provinces, cities and
‘municipalities where our Muslim compatriots reside, commemorate Bud Dahu Day on March 6
of every year.

‘This bill was first filed in the 16" Congress by Bayan Muna Partylist.

In the struggle to rectify the historic injustice against our Moro people and our continued fight

for national sovereignty, immediate approval of this proposed legislation is therefore earnestly
sought.

Approved,

Rep. Wer ‘aor T. ZARATE

Bayan Muna Pany-list


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3599

HOUSE BILL No. _

Introduced by BAYAN MUNA Rep. CARLOS ISAGANI T. ZARATE

AN ACT
DECLARING MARCH SIX OF EVERY YEAR AS BUD DAHU DAY IN
COMMEMORATION OF THE BANGSAMORO PEOPLE’S RESISTANCE TO.
FOREIGN OCCUPATION, THEIR CONTINUING QUEST FOR PEACE AND
SELF-DETERMINATION, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress asstonbled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Bud Dahu Day Act of 2016.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. Its the policy of the state to develop among out people
national consciousness and pride over historic events that portray the spirit of resistance and
heroic struggle against foreign domination. One such event occurred in Bud (Mount) Dahu in
Sulu on March 5 to 8, 1906. In recognition of that heroism of the Bangsamoro people, March 6
of every year is hereby declared as “Bud Dahu Day.”

SECTION 3. ‘The following activities shall be undertaken in observance of this occasion:

(@) Heads of government agencies and instrumentalities, government-owned and

controlled corporations, local government units, together with their employees, shall
organize, and participate in activities designed to raise public awareness on the events in
Bud Dahu, Jolo, Sulu, on March 5 to 8, 1906 and its continuing significance to the
Bangsamoro people and the Philippines; and

(b) The Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education,
National Historical Institute, Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine embassies and
Consulates in Islamic countries, in coordination with the Office of Muslim Affaits
(OMA), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) advocating for human rights and the
Bangsamoro people shall lead public and private school communities at all levels in the
country, and in Muslim Filipino communities abroad, in organizing consciousness raising
activities on Bud Dahu Day.


SECTION 4. A compliance and monitoring team headed by a duly designated representative
of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) shall be created to coordinate and
‘monitor the implementation of this Act. Said team shall be composed of one representative each
from the following agencies:

(National Commission on Muslim Filipinos;

(>) Depastment of Education;

(Commission on Higher Education;

(® Department of the Interior and Local Government;

(©) Department of Foreign Affairs;

( UP Institute of Islamic Studies; and

(@ Three non-government organization representatives from human sights
organizations, Bangsamoro people, and overseas Filipino workers.

SECTION 5. Sources of Funds, - Funds for the implementation of the aforestated activities,
programs and projects shall be taken out of the General Appropriations Act allocations for the
NCME, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Education, Commission on Higher
Education and Department of Interior and Local Government,

SECTION 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations, ~The NCMF, within sixty (60) days
from the Approval of this Act, shall promulgate the implementing rules and regulations for the
effective implementation of this ct, in consultation and coordination with the agencies and
organizations indicated in Section 4 hereof.

SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. — All laws, orders, decrees, rules and regulations ot part
thereof, contrary £6, of inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed or
modified accordingly.

SECTION 8. Separability Clause. ~ Should any provision of this Act be found
unconstitutional by a final judgment from a court of law, such provision shall be severed from,
the remainder of this Act, and such action shall not affect the enforceability of the remaining
provisions of this Act.

SECTION 9. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
publication in any two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,