SIXTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez
Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr.

2508

House Bill No.
EXPLANATORY NOTE.

In all books written on Philippine History there is very scant account, if at all, of
the revolutionary heroes of Mindanao in the revolution against Spain and the
subsequent war against the Americans.

In Teodoro Agoncillo's Philippine History, the only account of Mindanao's
Participation in the revolution was contained in one Paragraph which stated that
although the people in Mindanao was opposed to American sovereignty, the leaders
particularly in Zamboanga quarreled among themselves such that when the Americans
attacked Zamboanga, the town fell without much resistance from the quarreling Filipino
leaders

In hiss later book entitled History of the Filipino People there was even no
mention of any revolutionary activity in Mindanao from 1896 to 1901. What was cited
instead was the Bates Treaty between the Americans and the Sultanate of Sulu of
August 20, 1899.

In Gregorio Zaide's The Pageant of Philippine History there were only three
Pages devoted to Mindanao’s participation in the Philippine Revolution which
mentioned that during the closing days of 1898, the people of Palawan rose in arms,
liberated Puerto Princesa and other towns; that in January 1899 the Christian
inhabitants in Misamis, Cotabato and Surigao in Mindanao also rose in arms and
drove away the Spanish garrisons, which fled to Zamboanga; and that on May 13,
1899, the Christian revolutionists under the command of General Alvarez attacked the
Spanish army in Zamboanga and later the Spaniards had to leave Zamboanga.

Zaide also mentioned that when the first U.S. troops under Captain Pratt
landed in Jolo on May 19, 1899, the Taosugs did not resist and on August 20, 1899
the so called Bates Treaty was concluded. He continued by stating that on November
16, 1899, the American troops arrived in Zamboanga and made it a base to launch an
intensive military offensive in Mindanao. He then briefly recounted the Battle of Agusan
Hill and the assault of Macahambus Cave both in Cagayan de Oro by the Americans.

In Dr. Sonia M. Zaide's The Philippines: A Unique Nation (with Dr. Gregorio F.
Zaide's History of the Republic of the Philippines), only two paragraphs were devoted
to Mindanao. The first paragraph stated that in April 1899 the Filipino patriots of
Zamboanga captured a large storage of machine guns and rifles from the Spanish
gunboats in Basilan and with these arms, they attacked the Spaniards in Basilan and
Zamboanga. In Misamis, Surigao and Cotabato, the Christian Filipinos also adhered
to the cause of Philippine Independence. The second paragraph was an account of the
singing of the Bates Treaty.

In Eufronio M. Alip’s Philigpine History: Political, Social and Economic, there
was no mention at all on the revolution in Mindanao. In his later book entitled Political
and Cultural History of the Philippines nothing was mentioned about the revolution in
Mindanao except a passing reference to the Mohammedan elements in Mindanao
which supported the cause of the revolution



In Anotnio M. Molina’s The Philippines Through the Centuries there was a short
account on the revolution in Mindanao, which stated that a sergeant and a corporal
attached to the 68" Regiment garrisoned in Jolo, succeeded in winning members for
the Katipunan to which they were secretly affiliated. On 4” september they rose in
arms and engaged the government troops in various skirmishes. However, the
Movement was quickly suppresed and trials were summarily conducted, with two
sergeants, five corporals, and two soldiers being sentenced to death.

In his book, Molina also mentioned the rebellion of the 69" Regiment in lligan
on October 21, 1898 and the Marine Forces joined by Filipino land troops rising in
arms in Lanao in November, 1898. He also mentioned that early in April 1899 as the
Temaining Spanish troops in Mindanao converged in Zamboanga port, ready for
repatriation, the Filipinos, led by the patriots of Zamboanga took over.

In Conrado Benitez's History of Philippines, there was no mention on the
revolution in Mindanao as if nothing happened in Mindanao during the period of the
Philippine revolution from 1896 to 1901

The above survey of the history books written by our more prominent historians
clearly shows that there was disregard of, or even bias against, the heroic participation
of the people of Mindanao in the revolution against Spain and the fight against
‘American rule from 1896 to 1901.

It is a fact that in different places in Mindanao, the people rebelled against
Spain and later fought the Americans who replaced the Spaniards.

The revolution against Spain was started in Northern Mindanao in lligan City
when a group of disciplinarios (Filipino soldiers under the Command of Spanish
Military Officers) adhered to the cause of the Katipuneros and mutinied against the
Spanish army in the early months of 1897. They killed all their Spanish officers and left
again. These disciplinarios who numbered 300 soldiers belonged to the Third and
Fourth Companies of the regular Spanish Army stationed in lligan

They went to Cagayan but found it heavily defended by the Spanish Regiment
No. 72 and the Tercio de Voluntarios de Cagayan, a group of Cagayan volunteers who
were primarily responsible for the defense of the town. They skipped Cagayan. In an
encounter at Sta. Ana, Tagoloan, the disciplinarios were defeated and some of them
‘went on to Bukidnon and lived there with the Bukidnons and some went on to Surigao.

Before the Spaniards departed from Misamis Oriental the people organized a
new government based upon the laws and regulations of the Revolutionary
Government at Malolos. The first resolution passed by the Provincial Council
contained provisions to fight any invader, to organize armed forces and to secure arms
and ammunition.

Later, Anselmo Abejuela arrived from Manila. He had been appointed by the
Revolutionary government of Malolos as the Military chief of the province. He
organized the local forces and continued the war preparation but later resigned due to
poor health.

In the Battle of Cagayan, the Americans had occupied Cagayan without
resistance. However, General Nicolas Capistrano had ordered all rebel forces to meet
at Gango Plateau, 12 kms. southeast of Cagayan, on the same day that Cagayan was
‘occupied by the Americans. Joining the rebels were Bukidnons who came to help the
Cagayan revolutionaries.

On April 7, 1900, the Cagayan Revolutionaries attacked the American barracks
and thus started the Battle of Cagayan, for almost an hour, the battle and raged on.
Capt. Apolinario Pabayo of the macheteros succeeded in entering the barracks and
wounding some Americans but was himself killed. Two American soldiers were killed
and eleven wounded. On the side of the revolutionaries, 53 were killed, while 18 were
wounded. The Americans had superior might and so General Capistrano’s troops had
to retreat.


In the fight against the Americans, the Bukidnon lumads had promptly
responded to the appeal of their coastal brothers. In the Battle of Cagayan, fifteen
Bukidnon patriots died. They also helped not only in warfare but also by giving
quarters and provisions during the war.

In the Battle of Agusan Hill on May 14, 1900, Capt. Vicente Roa led the
Cagayan Revolutionaries in the east in an encounter with the 40 Regiment U.S.
Volunteer Infantry. Captain Roa, when told that all his men had been killed, kept on
fighting with this revolver until he ran out of ammunition. When he fell, an American
soldier snatched one of his medals of honor. On Agusan Hills lay dead 34 brave
soldiers of the First Company of the Mindanao Battalion with their gallant captain.

In the Battle of Macahambus, the Cagayan revolutionaries in the west had
fortified Macahambus case. On June 4, 1900, Capt. Eliot of the 40" Regiment decided
to capture Macahambus cave. As the Americans climbed the narrow trail to the
fortress, the revolutionaries ambushed them from their trenches. Nine Americans
soldiers were killed and more than ten were wounded. Only one died, Apolinario
Nacalaban and three were wounded on the side of the Cagayan revolutionaries.

In the Surrender of General Capistrano on April 6, 1901, the Misamis Phase of
the Filipino-American war ended after about a year.

There were people from Misamis Occidental who fought with Aguinaldo's
forces in Luzon. One of them was Mariano Garcenes, a Spanish mestizo who returned
to Misamis after the signing of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato. Upon his return, he joined the
Tesistance group organized by Simeon Ledesma,

On May 14, 1900 Captain Lambdin of the American forces with 40 men who
were stationed at Loculan, 4 miles east of Misamis, were attacked by Misamis
revolutionaries armed with daggers. Fifty seven revolutionaries were killed and twenty
wounded. Because of superior weapons, the revolutionaries were repulsed,

The revolutionaries in Misamis Occidental were headed by Rufino Deloso. His
force of 400 insurgents continued the struggle against the Americans by raising funds
from the people, securing arms and initiating encounters with the Americans.

There were no less than twenty encounters between the revolutionaries and
the Americans in Misamis Occidental from May 14, 1900 up to January 6, 1901

To the natives of Oroquieta-Launguan area, Capitan Daligdig led
numerous assaults against the Oroquieta garrison of the Americans. He was known as
brave, a fencing expert and possessed with supematural powers.

On January 27, 1899, Severino Reyes, organized the Corp of Liberators
(Cuerpo de Libertadores) equipping them with arms to maintain public order and
defend Camiguin against invaders.

On February 12, 1899 General Simeon Gonzales who had been appointed by
Gen. Aguinaldo as the Military Chief of Mindanao arrived in Camiguin and commended
the local revolutionaries on their war preparations.

On December 6, 1899, American gunships appeared along the coast of
Camiguin. Gunship No. 5 dispatched a small boat to attack a banca which was
aligning for port space. The Cuerpo de Libertadores defended the banca and volleys of
shots were exchanged. The smalll boat retreated and went back to the gunship which
then shelled the island for 3 to 4 hours.

‘On December 10, 1899, Gunship No. 5 of the Americans destroyed the
steamship Minerva, owned by the provincial government when it resisted the assault
by the gunship at the waters around Cagayan. On March 31, 1900, the Americans
were able to take over the capital town of Mambajao.

The Gonzales family of Surigao was headed by Don Juan or Jantoy. In 1892,
the Spanish governor of Surigao exiled the brothers Simon and Wenceslao Gonzales
for their anti-Spanish activities to Jolo. They would have been vanished to the
Marianas Islands but Fr. Pastells, Superior of the Jesuits intervened on time. Simon
and Wencesiao returned to Surigao after almost four years of exile in Jolo.


In April 1896, the Spanish governor again exiled Simon and Wenceslao to
Manila. Earlier, their brother Florendo was executed by Spanish authorities in Cebu for
his Katipunan activities there. Both men never got to Manila because war broke out
between Spain and the U.S. and they were detained in lloilo.

In September 1896, they obtained permission to go to Hong Kong. They
stayed only for a short time there and they later went to Manila where they got in
contact with Aguinaldo revolutionaries. After September 15, 1898, they attended
sessions of the Malolos Congress. On January 2, 1899, Aguinaldo appointed Simeon
Gonzales as Military Commander of Mindanao and Wenceslao as Governor of
Surigao. On February 11, 1899, they returned triumphantly to Surigao.

Returning in triumph to Surigao, the Gonzales brothers declared it a free
territory and part of the Republic of the Philippines and with the assistance of their
legal supporters imprisoned the priests and missionaries, Jesuits and Benedictines
alike.

‘Simon was the first person to hoist the Philippine flag at Casa Real in Surigao
while Wenceslao became the first person to hoist the Philippine flag in Butuan on
January 14, 1899.

When the Spanish-American war erupted, General Simon Gonzales and
Governor Wenceslao Gonzales made military preparations and geared the people in
Surigao and Agusan for assistance against the Americans. However, their
nationalistic efforts were thwarted when Prudencio Garcia, the general from
Banganga, executed a coup d’ etat and toppled and arrested the Gonzales after only
83 days in power.

The year before, specifically on September 23, 1898 this Prudencio Garcia had
taken matters into his hands and led a swift and successful uprising against the
undermanned Spanish detachments at the Banganga-Cateel line on the Pacific coast
of Surigao. After deposing the Spanish officers and other government officials, he
installed himself as head of the new local government unit.

On April 4, 1899, Garcia's men took Simon and Wenceslao, together with their
father, Don Juan to the beach of Cortes where they were shot to death. Later, Gen.
Garcia peacefully welcomed the Americans upon their arrival in Surigao.

From the Jesuit Missionary letters from Mindanao, we learn that the people in
Central Mindanao also rose up against the Spaniards. From the letter of Mariano
Suarez to the Mission Superior, the father reported the plans of the deportes in
Cotabato to rise against Spain as early as November 1896. However, this was aborted
by alert Spanish authorities,

In October 1898, Fr. Suarez wrote to the Superior about the plot of Spanish
Infantry to mutiny. However, the Spanish governor learned of the plot and the infantry
men were disarmed, shackled and detained at the barracks.

In November 1898, the Spanish authorities executed by firing squad in
Cotabato forty nine of those who plotted against the Spaniards.

In Pollok, Maguindanao, Father Baltazar Ferrer also wrote to the Mission
Superior on December 7, 1898 that a conspiracy, probably planned jointly with those in
Cotabato, was to take over the two gunboats of the Spaniards namely the Gardoqui
and Bravo by killing the officers of the ships. But their plot was discovered and twenty-
two persons were apprehended and brought on board the Panay to Isabela,

In the same letter, Fr. Ferrer also mentioned the arrival a month earlier of more
than 370 political exiles and convicts. Shortly on arrival, 101 were executed, same in
Malaybalay and Baras and others in Parang.

After the Spanish withdrawal from Cotabato, Datu Piang declared himself
Sultan of Mindanao. On January 6, 1899, with a thousand warriors, he occupied
Cotabato and later on Tamontaka. The churches and convents were badly damaged
and the pent-up wrath of the Maguindanao against the Christian colonizers reached a
peak of expression. The memory of indio participation against the Maguindanao was
still very strong.


However, Datu Piang’s reign in Cotabato was short-lived. In December 1899
‘American occupation forces arrived in Pulangi, putting an end of the armed conflicts.

Although Datu Piang co-opted with the American establishment, resistance to
‘American rule was led by Datu Ali a descendant of the Buayan ruling family and former
follower of Datu Uto. Datu Ali attempted to raise the whole Cotabato Valley in revolt.
His fortress in Cotabato was the largest ever constructed in Mindanao. It would easily
hold five thousand men. Although this fortress/garrison was eventually overrun and
taken by the Americans he was not captured. Datu Ali of Buayan was the last Muslim
of reknown to resist American rules through armed means.

At the beginning of Philippine revolution, a sergeant and a corporal attached to
the 68" Regiment garrisoned in Jolo succeeded in winning members for the
Katipunan. On the 4” of September, 1896, the native soldiers rose in arms at Fort
‘Alfonso XIl and engaged the government troops in various skirmishes. However, the
movement was quickly suppressed and trial was summarily conducted with two
sergeants, five corporals and two soldiers sentenced to death. The rest of those
arrested were condemned to life imprisonment.

By 1898, the repercussions of the revolution in Luzon were felt in Zamboanga
where General Vicente Alvarez led the revolutionaries against the remaining Spanish
contingents

In April 1899, the rebels had captured a large storage of machine guns and
rifles from Spanish gunboats off Basilan and on May 13, 1899 they began a siege of
Zamboanga. The Spaniards finally evacuated the town; but at embarkation, Montero, a
Spanish general was fatally wounded. General delos Rios surrendered the city to
Gen. Alvarez on May 18, 1899 and evacuated his troops to Manila the next day.

After the Spanish evacuation, a petty civil war between the principalia of
Zamboanga and faction of the revolutionary militia broke out. On March 16, 1899 the
‘American attacked Zamboanga with lttle resistance from the battle-weary citizens.

In Jolo, when the U.S. troops under Captain Pratt landed on May 18, 1899, the
Tausugs did not resist. In July 1899, Military Governor Otis sent General John Bates to
Jolo to negotiate an agreement with Sultan Jamalul Kiram Il of Sulu. On August 20,
1899, the Bates Treaty was concluded establishing friendly relations between the
Sultanate and the U.S

The Philippine revolution of 1896 caused no significant reaction in Davao. In
November, 1896 Fr. Saturnino Urios, Superior of the Jesuits in Davao, wrote how
much they thank God for the people in Davao continued to be friendly, unaffected by
the revolution.

In September, 1898, the Spanish officials in Davao received orders to vacate
the place and turn over the government to the local authorities. When the Spaniards
left Davao in mid January 1899, a new council of government was installed but other
refused to abide by it and so anarchy reigned in Davao.

Unexpected on February 6, the tercios revolutionarios armed with riffles went
on a rampage killing their senior officer, his wife and a young relative. Others joined
them and proclaimed themselves masters of the town. Somehow the Jesuits managed
to convince the tercios to retum. However, one of the principales, a friend of the
lieutenant killed by the tercios fired a bullet killing the latter’s murderer and so fighting
ensued. However they were later pacified and peace finally settled down.

These accounts clearly show that in all regions of Mindanao there were
revolutionary activities waged by the community first against the Spaniards then later
against the Americans.

Although there was not much direct participation of the Muslims in Mindanao in
the Philippine Revolution from 1896 to 190, first against the Spaniards and later
against the Americans, focus should be made on the Muslim’s indispensable role in
helping the Philippine Revolution through their continuous resistance against Spanish
tule specially during the years immediately preceding the 1896 revolution.


In 1880, Datu Uto became the most powerful datu in the Pulangi area. The
Spaniards decided to conquer the Datu to demonstrate that the Maguindanao have no
chance against the might of the Spaniards

In 1884, a fierce battle between the Spaniards and the forces of Datu Uto in
Tumbao took place but the Datu’s man there was defeated. But Datu Uto remained
unconquered such that in 1886 Governor General Terero had to personally lead the
Punitive campaign against the Datu. After more than a year of fighting, Datu Uto was
forced to sue for peace through a letter. The Spaniards content by the letter
abandoned their expedition. This expedition was criticized in Manila for its very large
expenses.

Gen. Valeriano Wreyler succeeded Governor Terero as Governor General in
1888. He strengthened the Spanish forces in Cotabato but decided to conquer first the
unconquered Maranaos.

On August 21, 1891, the Spaniards under Governor General Valeriano Wreyler
attacked the Maranas at Fort Marawi under Datu Amai Pakpak. Unaware of concealed
pits 00 ditches planted with sharpened bamboo sticks and covered with plants and
vines, many Spaniards fell and got killed. However, they succeeded in scaling the
fort's wall and defeated the defenders. Anai Pakpak escaped death.

But Wreyler three days later abandoned the fort in fear of Maranaos who were
already massing for an assault on the Spaniards. They retumed to lligan.

In March 10, 1895, Gov. General Ramon Blanco with a force of about 3,000
troops aided by countless volunteers marched to Marawi. After severe fighting
including hand to hand encounters and with heavy losses on both sides, Blanco's
Superior power succeeded in planting the Spanish flag upon the fort for the second
time. But it was at the cost of 18 Spaniards dead and 197 wounded.

The conquestadores of Spain have met their match in the Islam's warriors of
Mindanao and Sulu because after 300 years of fighting the Moros preserved their
independence, religion and culture. The Muslims had staged a bitter and uninterrupted
warfare against the might of Spain for a period of 337 years.

The Moro Wars became a factor in the development of the Philippine
Revolution. The Wars sapped the energies of Spanish officials and gave them little
opportunity to strengthen the Spanish hold on Luzon, thereby creating a situation
favorable to a revolutionary movement. While the Christian natives were taxed and
Tecruited into forced labor in support of the campaign against the Muslims, the Spanish
authorities failed to protect Christian settlements from Muslims ravages. Thus, the
Moro wars too, helped create sources of discontent which combined with other
dynamics responsible for the Philippine Revolution.

Statistical data show that the Politico-Military Government of Mindanao begun
incurring a deficit spending of 439,920.03 pesos in 1884; at Insular level a comparison
shows that the staggering deficit accounted for 1,846,718.01 pesos and the budget for
the succeeding years before the 1896 Revolution reflected the same trend. The budget
immediately preceding the Revolution, that of 1895-1896, reflected the war department
getting the lion's share of 4,045,061.34 pesos. A good percentage went to salaries of
the clergy and support of the church amounting to 1,045,540 pesos. At the outbreak of
the 1896 Revolution, the Insular Government had at its disposal a limited force
consisting of two squadrons of cavalry, one battalion of engineers, one artillery
regiment, and seven regiments of infantry. Six of these infantry regiments were then in
Mindanao for the Lake Lanao campaign, but some of these were immediately recalled,

Because substantial Spanish forces were concentrated on these places of
Mindanao including the forces along the trocha of the isthmus, Spanish forces in
Manila were too weak to suppress the revolution. Therefore, in its contextual aspects,
the activities of the Moros along the isthmus, the relationship of the Moros and the
Subanen and the concentration of the Spanish forces in Mindanao contributed to the
success of the Philippine revolution of 1896.



Burdened with financial constraints, the Spaniards could not fight two fronts at
the same time, so, they fixed their attention to Mindanao. Because of this, their control
in Luzon was eased as the big bulk of their forces was sent to the south. It was during
the period that the Katipunan spread all over Luzon. Therefore, there is enough reason
to believe that the Moro resistance had contributed in the strengthening of the
Katipunan because without the military campaign in Mindanao, there would have been
enough Spanish forces in Manila to check their activities.

The Moros may not have taken part in the actual combat during the revolution,
but their unwavering resistance to Spanish domination is enough contribution to the
cause of freedom. Their resistance and offensive operations undermined the Spanish
plan to subjugate totally the archipelago. Enormous amount of money for the
improvement of the army and the navy were spent, leaving behind other services for
the colony, which resulted in dissatisfaction among Spanish subjects. This
dissatisfaction, among others was one of the reasons of the revolution. Revolution is
change and change is a process, in short, a revolution does not happen at a flick of
fingers, but develops until it matured. The Philippine Revolution, therefore, was the
climax of the process, the mutiny of the determination of the Filipinos to be free.

The Moro resistance, raids and piracies therefore, were the Moro contributions
in the fight against the colonizers that reached the climax in the Philippine Revolution
of 1896,

From the discussions above, it is clear that the people of Mindanao, the
Christians, Muslims and /umads had participated in the Philippine Revolution that
culminated in Philippine independence that we are now celebrating.

It is unfortunate that for a hundred years our historians have disregarded the
heroic deeds of the people of Mindanao by merely mentioning them in passing, it at all.

But a hundred years is not too late to correct our history books. A hundred
years could not suppress the recognition that is due to our heroes in Mindanao. It is
about time to declare as national heroes Nicolas Capistrano, Apolinar Velez, Vicente
Roa and Apolinario Pabayo from Misamis Oriental, Rufino Deloso, Simeon Ledesma
and Capitan Daligdig from Misamis Occidental; Simeon and Wenceslao Gonzales of
Surigao; Datu Uto and Datu Ali of Cotabato; Amai Pakpak of Marawi and Vicente
Alvarez of Zamboanga.

Only by recognizing the heroic struggle of the people of Mindanao against
colonial rule and by declaring as national heroes the Mindanaoans who fought so that
this nation may be free and independent can we achieve a truthful and truly national
celebration of the Philippine Centennial and the unity of the entire Filipino people.t is
high time that we correct the injustice inflicted on our brothers in the South. Now is the
opportune time to give recognition where it is due.

Approval of this timely measure is therefore most earnestly sought.



SIXTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez and
Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr.

House Bill No, 2008

AN ACT
TO DECLARE AS NATIONAL HEROES THOSE WHO LED THE REVOLUTION
AGAINST SPAIN AND THE UNITED STATES IN MINDANAO

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title - This act shall be known as the MINDANAO HEROES
DECLARATION ACT OF 2013".

SEC 2. Declaration of Policy — It is hereby declared that the Filipino Nation
recognizes the heroic acts of the people in all the regions in the country in the
Fevolution against Spain in 1896 and subsequently the fight against the Americans in
1898 so that this nation will be free and independent.

SEC 3. Objectives — The Objectives of this Act are:

a) to correct the bias against the heroic participation of the people from the
different regions of the country outside of Metro Manila and adjacent regions in the
revolution against Spain and the United States:

b) to develop local writers to write about their local heroes in the revolution
against Spain and the United States.

©) to recognize the long delayed heroism of the people in other regions outside
of Metro Manila and the adjacent regions in revolution against Spain and the United
States.

d) to lay the groundwork for the rewriting of Philippine history to incorporate the
heroic deeds of our brothers and sisters in the other regions and make our Philippine
history truly national and complete; and

e) to make the centennial celebration of our Philippine Independence complete
with the due recognition of the participation of the different regions of the country in the
revolution against Spain and the United States.

SEC 4. The following are declared National Heroes for their heroism in the revolution
against Spain and the subsequent war against the American occupation forces:

1. From Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro:

a) General Nicolas Capistrano, the leader of the Cagayan
revolutionaries who waged a one-year war against the Americans in
1900-1901 and led the attack of the Cagayan revolutionaries,
assisted by Bukidnon lumads, against the Americans in the Battle of
‘Cagayan of April 7, 1900

b) Colonel Velez, who commanded the revolutionaries in the west of
Cagayan de Oro and victoriously led the defenders in the Battle of
Macahambus Cave of June 4, 1900, where nine American soldiers


were killed and more than ten wounded, and only one revolutionary
died.

©) Captain Vicente Roa who, on May 14, 1900, led the Cagayan
revolutionaries in the east in an encounter with the 40” US
Regiment where he was killed fighting, together with 34 Cagayano
soldiers in the Battle of Agusan Hil

2. From Misamis Occidental:

a) Simeon Ledesma who organized the first resistance group in
Western Misamis against the Americans;

b) Rufino Deloso who led a force of 400 revolutionaries and engaged
the Americans in no less than 20 encounters from May 14, 1900 to
January 6, 1901

¢) Capitan Daligdig, the lumad leader in the Oroquieta-Laungan area
who led numerous assaults against the Oroquieta Garrison of the
Americans.

3. From Surigao

a) The heroism of the brothers Simon and Wenceslao Gonzalez
should be recognized. Simon Gonzales was appointed by General
Aguinaldo as military commander of Mindanao, and Wencesiao as
governor of Surigao on January 2, 1896. They declared Surigao
and Butuan free territory and part of the Republic of the Philippines
and they were the first to hoist the Philippine flag in these places.
They made war preparations and prepared the people in Surigao
and Agusan for resistance against the Americans. They were,
however, both executed together with their father on April 4, 1899,
by another military leader of Surigao.

4, From Zamboanga:
a) General Vicente Alvarez who led the revolutionaries against the
‘Spanish forces which withdrew to Zamboanga from various parts of
Mindanao. In siege of the Zamboanga, Montero, a Spanish general,
was killed and General de los Rios surrendered the city to General
Alvarez on May 8, 1899.

5. From Cotabato and Maguindanao:

a) Datu Uto must be credited for incessantly fighting the Spaniards
from 1880 to 1886. The Spanish expeditions against Datu Uto
weakened the over-all military strength and financial resources of
the Spaniards making them vulnerable a few years later to the
revolution waged by the Katipuneros.

b) Datu Ali organized and led the resistance in the Cotabato Valley to
American rule. His fortress in Cotabato was the largest ever
constructed in \danao easily holding 5,000 men.

6. From Lanao:
a) Amai Pakpak led the Muslim defenders of Fort Marawi in both the
1891 assault by Spanish Governor General Valeriano Weyler and
the 1895 invasion of Governor General Ramon Blanco. Amai
Pakpak died fighting the 3,000 Spanish troops.

These heroic wars waged by our Musiim brothers sapped and diminished the
military strength and divided the attention of the Spanish authorities. The Muslim
resistance led the strengthening of the Katipunan because without the military


campaign in Mindanao, there would have been more than enough Spanish forces in
Manila to check the Katipunan.

SEC 5. The National Historical Commission is hereby directed to undertake a full
blown research on the life and the activities of the above declared National Heroes
during the revolution against Spain and the war against the United States. The
Commission is likewise tasked to publish a book on these National Heroes from
Mindanao, to erect the monuments and the historical markers of the different sites of
the war against the Spaniards and the Americans in coordination with the local
governments of the area.

SEC 6. Appropriation - The amount of the Thirty Million Pesos is hereby
appropriated and given to the National Historical Commission to undertake the
activities as provided in this Act.

SEC 7. Effectivity - This act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its
publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,